Incomplete
by 7-hemphisis-dragon-7
Summary: Sora gets a new enemy and is forced to leave his home. But along the way he meets a new friend and gains an unsuspecting love for this newcomer as he faces new worlds & characters. Shounen Ai A SoRox Story Rated T for mild sexuality, violence and language
1. Prologue: I'm Back

_**Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't been able to update my other story in a while, I was kind of busy with this. And yeah, it IS a shounen ai/yoai(sp?) thingie-doo. And yeah, my newest story is about Kingdom Hearts and what happens to Sora and his nobody, Roxas after Sora saves the worlds once again. It leads on from the point of when the king's message got to Destiny Islands. And warning, if your like/love Donald and Goofy, I'm sorry, but they won't be in this story on account of a month long mission somewhere else and there are some chapters that are song based and sob-filled so beware...**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Riku: She doesn't own us because definately no one owns me! Otherwise their life would be a living hell! **

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_Prologue_

_**I'm Back…**_

Sora climbed out the Gummi ship's cockpit that automatically picked him up from Destiny Islands. He had only been there a week and already the king wanted him to visit. It didn't seem right. The castle looked just as it had had before, with the same beauty and brightness it always had. But surprisingly, Donald and Goofy weren't in the Hanger Bay waiting to greet him like they would've. The two chipmunks, Chip and Dale were though. Sora always thought those two tiny little chipmunks, adorable. He only smiled though. Stepping onto the metal walkway that led to the first floor of the castle, Chip and Dale were already running hurriedly to his location.

"Heya Sora!" Dale greeted, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Great to see ya again Sora!" Chip chimed in.

"Hi guys!" Sora greeted in return, _attempting _to crouch down to their level, "Uh, are Donald and Goofy around here?"

Dale let the question sink in as he scratched his chin to think. He looked at the ceiling as if that would tell him the answer to Sora's question. Chip, all the while, was let his mouth gape at his brother in disbelief. After a few seconds, he slapped a paw on to his forehead. Dale's tongue was now sticking out in concentration.

"Oh for Heaven's sake! It was only five minutes ago Dale!" Chip said, impatiently with anger.

"What?" Sora asked, hoping for them to tell him what was going on.

"Lady Daisy had just told Dale something about Donald and Goofy just five minutes ago while I was working. She told him to tell you about it but his tiny memory span forgot it already!" Chip exclaimed heatedly, "And Lady Daisy isn't here to tell you either…"

For a few minutes, they sat there in silence, staring at the thoughtful chipmunk, until a deafening, "I GOT IT!" was heard echoing throughout the room.

"Finally! Took ya a while!" the impatient chipmunk exclaimed once more.

Taking no notice of Chip's words, Dale explained, "Lady Daisy told me, to tell you, that Donald and Goofy have left for a top secret mission. They won't be back for a month. Sorry you won't get to see them Sora. We know you probably wanted to see 'em again…"

"Oh no, I'm fine… just was wondering where they were at…" Sora answered hesitantly with a fake smile, "I'll just head up for the castle then and take a look around, see ya guys!"

"See ya Sora!" they called back waving.

A few steps up the stairs, Sora's smile faded away into a disappointed frown. He was going to get lonely with Donald and Goofy not being around and what not. He wasn't going to see them at all this visit if they were on a secret mission. And a secret mission without _him_! He would give anything to be there, fighting alongside his two friends once more. But he knew the king had to speak with him sometime during his stay. If it were just a regular visit, it would've been requested later because he was only at Destiny Islands for a 7 day period. King Mickey wanted to talk to him about _something_…

Finally, Sora had walked out onto the garden's grass. It was beautiful out in the castle's fresh garden air. It was always beautiful here. He took a deep breath of its oxygen and exhaled it slowly. It was quiet and peaceful in this world's sunshine, which was just what he needed; Mickey's request was giving him much stress already.

Sitting on the warm grass, Sora crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and did something he hasn't done in a long while... Inhaling, he started to meditate.

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**_Like the Prologue? Try reading the story! But if you're expecting shounen ai right away, I'm sorry, but it won't happen until later on in the story... Hope you're ready for a lot of brotherly love!_**


	2. Ch1 Memories or not?

_**Chapter 1, the beginning of the story. Now you'll know why he left Destiny Islands and what happens while he meditates. All opinions in reviews are welcomed.**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Kairi: She did not make the game, she did not create the real story, and she MOST DEFINATELY did not choose the right couples! Okay... So Riku is hot, but hey! Me and Sora are the cannon and-**

**Me:_ 'Hides shovel behind back'_ **

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_Chapter 1_

_**Memories or Not?**_

Sora beamed into a black space inside his mind, pictures, big and small, represented memories and floated on a never-ending circular trail around him. One caught his eye quickly, one that looked like a cobblestone floor with gray bricks surrounding it. He walked up to it slowly as it stopped. The picture rippled like water as he touched it. Soon, his body disappeared from the crowded place. Sora entered a castle-like area, only, it was a huge opening spot between many shops instead of a castle's huge empty room. This was where he first met Donald and Goofy. And right on time, his young, faded, giddy self walked into the vacant spot. Sora noticed the differences between him and his younger self rapidly. His hair used to be darker and more of a chocolate color than cinnamon, and his face was a bit pudgier. Right on cue, the duck and dog came raining down onto the younger him with a splat. Even though the place was clear and the people were faded, Sora saw the moment perfectly. He laughed at their downfall.

"The Key!" Donald and Goofy had said when they first saw his blade.

Immediately, and without Sora's intention, the image changed into the courtyard in front of the clock tower in The World that Never Was. That image changed into the clock tower at Twilight Town, and that image turned into the back of a blonde boy's head, his hair was spiky, but not quite like Sora's. The setting was at the Usual Spot, and the whole gang was there. They were all laughing about something. Sora could've swore that he didn't know this boy at first, until the image turned into his stained glass platform and the boy was now wearing a black Organization XIII cloak. It was Roxas, his nobody. Slowly, the blonde turned his head to smile at Sora.

"You make a good other…" Roxas had complimented.

Then everything slowly faded to white.

Sora opened his eyes as the bright sky greeted him. The memories replayed in his mind over and over again as he stared at the green grass. Something wasn't right. But though he was worried about what just happened, he also was wondering what broke his meditation; his name gave him the answer.

"Sora!"

Sora turned to a small mouse walking gracefully up to him. Queen Minnie was smiling like she always was, and just as brightly as Sora always smiled. Sora stood up and bowed with respect.

"Hello Queen Minnie! Are you, Chip, and Dale the only ones here?" he asked standing straight up once more.

"Yes, I'm afraid so… But King Mickey will be joining us the morning after tomorrow if you were wondering." she informed happily, "Oh! I'm sorry, did I interrupt anything?"

The boy was staring off into space before he realized what she was saying, "Huh? Oh yeah, I was, thanks, and no you didn't, but thanks for asking." he lied, grinning.

Minnie cared a lot about other people just as Sora did. He beamed at the thought of his and her similarities.

"Would you like to come and eat lunch with me and the chipmunks? You could join us anytime if you like." Minnie suggested gleefully.

Sora accepted her offer with the exception of being a couple minutes late, but the three didn't mind really. Sora asked directions to the bathroom, and swore he walked half a mile to get there. Once he was finally there, he looked at the bathroom's oversized room. The room was pure white and freshly cleaned. Walking to the sink, he splashed his face heavily with ice-cold water and looked into the mirror. He looked the same as this morning just wet, he didn't care though. All he wanted to know was that he wasn't dreaming. His pure blue eyes stared back at him with weariness. His pupils were smaller than they usually were, but he didn't worry much about it, just the fact of the sudden mix of Roxas' memories that ran through his mind.

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After finishing eating with the Queen and the chipmunks, Sora changed into his sports clothes and sat out on the balcony outside his guestroom. Silently, he started his meditation once more. It was silent and the sun was rushing to rise passed noon and Sora was making peace with his body. Something was wronge in his mind or memory sections.

Once more, Sora was within his memory bank. But before he could even choose one to enter, the pictures swerved around him just like buzzing bees being angered. Sora took a few steps back from his stance in surprise, looking at each picture as it passed. Never-ending bewilderment taking the cinnamon haired teen, he looked around himself in search of the cause of the ruckus, his mind never was like this before. Beyond his seeing eye, a memory was zooming straight for him…

Sora was back in The World that Never Was' clock tower courtyard again. The heart shaped moon was clearly in sight, pure and yellow. 9:13, the same time Sora first stepped into the square. But something was wronge, where was his memory faded self? A dark portal rose in front of him and a black-cloaked Organization XIII member stepped out. He summoned the two keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, who else but Roxas? But then, it got worse. Roxas was facing _him_! The present him! Sora didn't know why, and he couldn't summon his keyblade either, not while he was within his mind. Roxas ran at him, his blades dragging to produce sparks on the cobblestone ground. It took him by surprise, so he couldn't dodge the attack on time. As the keyblades struck, Sora's vision flashed into pure white, then faded to black. Sora, physically and mentally, was out cold.

The last thing he heard as his head hit the pavement was, "Now… we're even…"

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Sora woke up in the guest bedroom while the bright sunshine welcomed him back. Too bad it blinded him too early before he could enjoy it. He sat up in bed, his head hurting like hell. Holding his noggin in pain, he immediately noticed Mickey sleeping in a chair beside him. He obviously got tired while waiting for him to wake up.

'_Wait! King Mickey's here already!? How long was I out!?_' Sora thought worriedly.

Sliding the covers off of him, he jumped out of bed and silently slid the glass doors open and entered the balcony in which he fell unconscious. Walking to the edge, he looked over the cement barriers to watch the humongous garden below. It looked like Chip and Dale were taking a break and were chasing each other around the animal shaped bushes.

"Like the view?"

Sora almost jumped out of his skin. Mickey stood next to him in his warrior clothes, looking out at the patch.

"Y-Yeah…" he answered, still stuttering a bit.

"We were worried about ya. You were only out for two days but when I got here this morning, you looked too peaceful for my liking." Mickey stated, looking up at the teenager.

Sora looked at the clock behind them, it read exactly 12:00 p.m., he literally was out cold for 2 days straight, not a minute more or less.

"Oh, sorry…" Sora apologized even though he didn't really need to, rubbing the back of his head while smiling sheepishly.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault… do ya know what knocked you out or remember what you were doing?" the mouse inquired concerned.

"No… I'm afraid not… but I was meditating when it happened." Sora replied, remembering the Org. XIII member "Roxas" coming up and knocking him straight out.

"Ah… I see…" the king sighed, returning his gaze back down to the green garden.

Sora stared guiltily at the king, "Sorry if the information didn't really help you…"

"Nah, it's fine, it was on your head and your eyes were closed, so I didn't expect you to know much anyway." the king replied kindly.

Sora was still in his sports clothes from when he was last conscious. They felt dirty and grimy. He felt very uncomfortable standing there.

"Uh, I think I'm gonna change back into my usual uniform." the boy announced, turning to go inside.

"Okay then, I'll be out here if you need me." Mickey answered, chuckling at the chipmunks' performance down below.

It wasn't long before Sora returned to join Mickey's random laughter at the two rodents. Still, Sora wondered what Mickey wanted with him, so he decided that this might be a good time to talk about it.

"Um… King Mickey? What was your real intention for having me come here?" he asked eagerly.

It took the mouse a moment to take in what he had just said. Slowly, he turned to the boy with a sigh.

"Sora, while you were there on Destiny Islands, the people there weren't safe. You brought danger to their home, so we had to bring you here since the cornerstone blocked everything related to darkness out. This was the only place you could stay without hurting anyone, other than Yen Sid's Tower of course. But I'm sorry Sora, you can't go back, otherwise, it could endanger many of the worlds." Mickey explained sadly with a grimace.

"What!? Why? How does my presence endanger the worlds? What is there something about my aura or something like that?" Sora almost demanded in shock.

"No Sora… It's not that…" Mickey said, trying to escape the boy's gaze by turning away and closing his eyes.

"Then what! What's wronge with me!?" Sora now demanded with beseech.

"Sora… Someone's looking for you…" the mouse said, turning his head a little.

"…What?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Someone's trying to hunt you down." Mickey explained once more with a different way of stating it, he let his lids rise a bit to show his guilt filled eyes that fled Sora's piercing stare.

"Why…? Wha-WHO?" Sora inquired once more.

"We don't know, but Yen Sid sensed his presence and knew what he wanted." Mickey clarified, this time, actually looking at the teen, "But we also know that if you choose to return to Destiny Islands now, you will put everyone you know and care for at risk."

Sora knew he was telling the truth, even though he knew how bad he didn't want to believe it. Tears threatened to blur his pupils as he looked at the ground. He would never see his friends and family again if this _thing_ was still around and was still viciously looking for him.

"I…I understand…" Sora nodded, unable to look up.

"I hoped you would…" Mickey answered, just as depressed.

Sora fell to his knees with sorrow, Mickey standing in front of him with remorse. Slowly, the teenager looked up at the mouse, he now let his tears leave freely. Mickey looked back at him even more sorrowful then before. Swiftly, the king was now in Sora's arms, the keyblade's chosen one now crying on the mouse's shoulder. Mickey at first took this by surprise and shock, but then hugged the crying boy back.

He now looked so fragile; it was hard to believe he was the brave and courageous boy that saved the worlds twice. He was now a boy just in need of family and warmth and someone to comfort him.

After a few minutes, Mickey held the boy's shoulders and pulled away.

He than said, "Sora? You've been through a lot lately, so why don't you get some rest, you may feel better in the morning…"

Sora looked at him with his tear stained face and Mickey just smiled and small sad encouraging smile. Sora returned it with a small one of his own while his eyes remained puffy and swollen.

Sora stood up, shaking a bit as the king left the room, and he reentered his bed in silence.

Minnie was standing outside the door, waiting for her husband in silence. She greeted him with a warm smile.

"How did it go? How did he take it Mickey?" she asked with hope in her eyes.

He sighed once more before answering, "He completely broke apart at first from the news. He almost shut down. I encouraged him though, and told him basically never to give up, no matter what the odds. Then I told him to get some rest and we would talk about it later. He felt a bit better after."

Minnie's smile turned into a sad one, but still a smile. She loved Sora like a son and she knew that so did Mickey. And of course, they worried about him like his parent's would've as well. They decided to give him some time, and they knew it was the wisest choice anyone could choose.

Sora immediately started dreaming, his tears dried and cold. His heart almost torn in half, he slept with a supportive comfort coming from within his mind.

Deep within Sora's mind, a blonde boy sat in front of a lonesome place. He stared at the ground in misery, as his light blue eyes seemed empty of all life. Blinking, a teardrop shed from atop his lid and dropped to the paved cold ground.

Sora, now dreaming peacefully, let a tear squeeze from in between his eyelids and touch its first gust of air as it streamed down his face.

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Sora awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of thunder, it was two o'clock in the morning and he was now fully rested, so he couldn't go back to sleep. Walking out of his room, Sora decided to go to the garden again. It was a beautiful place and he thought it could only look better in the moonlight. Walking out into the starlight himself, he proved himself correct. The moon's shine gave each green leaf and blade of grass a bluish glow and surprisingly, it wasn't raining. Every patch and bush reflected the white light to produce an illusion itself. Sora walked to the middle castle-like bush, the inside of it were the stairs that led down to the gummi ship's hanger bay. It had flat bushes climbing up and around it like swirling stairs. Sora climbed to the highest ledge and sat down with his legs dangling off the side. It was a sight too beautiful to resist, as if calling you for company to watch its luminous glow.

Sora took a deep breath before closing his eyes while letting the cool night winds blow through his spiky haired scalp. The cool air and light reminded him of his home on Destiny Islands. At night, the ocean felt just like this, only you could hear the quiet waves rapping up the shores. The smell was of the sweetest salt and the trees would rustle their leaves to let the winds' air through.

As a matter of fact, Sora could hear the sweet succulent sounds right now as he saw on the soft bush. He was so serene, that he ended up meditating. He didn't have to be faded into the memory choice section, but in the memory that he was just thinking about. Only nature made the sounds around him as the water reflected the huge moon. He walked to the small separate island where the curved paupu tree was and sat upon its gray trunk. If only everything were as peaceful as this.

Sora closed his eyes and took in the oceans aroma.

Suddenly the thought of never being here again stole his attention. He knew he'd never really see this place again. Why did the world torture him so?

Making his decision, he hopped of the silver trunk and started to walk around the island. He could see the fish lazily keeping still in the water as clearly as anything he had seen. They moved with the slow rippling water, at one with the sea. He remembered his old mermaid friend, Ariel. She would be sleeping now on her soft water bed as the youngest princess of Atlantica. She rarely ever turned down a challenge and risked her freedom just to become Sora's friend. Her and her people would always be one with the sea. It would never be a question why.

Sora walked for half an hour before finally coming around to the Secret Spot. He crawled inside and looked at the past drawing from him and his friends, Riku and Kairi. He walked, staring at each of them carefully and intently for a few minutes. Finally, he came upon an unforgettable one.

The drawing of him and Kairi would never be forgotten, at least, not by him. Sora had added the paupu fruit after realizing his true feelings for Kairi. God, he missed her. After seeing his edition, she added one of her own, a second paupu from herself. Sora didn't know if it was out of feeling the same for him, a sick game to mess with him, or an action just saying that she pitied him. Sora feared each of these reasons. Even the one that said the same feelings for him. He didn't know why but he knew he feared it as well.

Crawling out of the dark cave, he walked out and journeyed across the island once more. On the other side of the isle, Sora reminded himself about his and Riku's race across the beach and back. He walked to the purple star tree and touched it to watch it glow its pale glow. Walking back, he returned to the other side of the isle to rest again.

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**_Yup, Sora is now being chased by someone, and someone vicious and dangerous by the sound of it! I have some of the other chapters already written_** _**so expect updates**_ **_soon! Hoped you liked it so far and sorry if it turned out to be a bit confusing! And I know you all might be thinking, "Since when does Sora meditate?" well I have an answer, "Since when does it matter?!" Anyway, so yeah, there are now a few problems with Sora's mental system._**

**_R&R would be appreciated!_**


	3. Ch2 Roxas You're Unbelievable

_**So, onto chapter 2! Sorry if you think Roxas is a little OC here but ignore it please! This is a long chapter so have as much reading it as you can. And yeah, obviously this one is song based about their first impression feelings toward one another. I think I'm going on with the even numbered chapters all probably being song based cuz Ch.4 is already song based too.**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Roxas and Sora:She may own the game, but she didn't create it. So she doesn't own us!**

**Me: '_mumbles'_ Yeah... as far as _you_ know... **

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_Chapter 2_

_**Roxas**_

_**(You're Unbelievable)**_

_Sora's POV_

_You burden me with your questions  
You'd have me tell no lies  
You're always asking what it's all about  
But don't listen to my replies  
You say to me I don't talk enough  
But when I do I'm a fool  
These times I've spent, I've realized  
I'm going to shoot through  
And leave you_

Returning to the paupu tree, Sora knew he had hours left before the sun would rise. So he retook his place on the gray trunk's curve and sat back. Just as he got comfortable a vast wave crashed against the island, spraying Sora with tiny droplets of water. Of course he couldn't feel them, but he enjoyed the imagination of feeling their landing on his skin. The moon hadn't had changed its position at all as Sora stared into it. The craters he could easily see seemed to smile down upon him, he had found the man in the moon. He turned his attention to the rippling waves once more until an unexpected presence moved toward him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Sora almost fell off the log, he turned to see Roxas leaning against the trunk's curb beside him.

"Roxas? I don't recall a memory like this! Who's he talking to? And how'd he get here?" Sora thought out loud in astonishment.

"Oh, I left Twilight Town and took a right at The Land of Dragons and just _happened_ to stumble upon you sitting in the garden at Disney Castle, so I decided to mess with your mind and… Oh yeah… I LIVE HERE SMART ONE!" the blonde shouted in irritation.

Sora looked at him as if he were psycho. Roxas rolled his eyes with impatience.

"Yes! I _am_ talking to you Sora…" he said, glaring back at him.

"But how? And wha… You attacked me!" Sora exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Yeah so? I told you we were finally even. You struck me our first battle, so I got even." the blonde explained, putting his hands behind his head.

A strong silence came over the two. Roxas finally got tired of the tension and broke the stillness.

"You know… You don't talk enough…" he said, looking at his other.

Sora was looking straight at him the whole time so he didn't really have to move. He didn't really know what just happened at the moment except the fact that his nobody was standing crystal clear right in front of him.

"But… How are you in my mind? I thought you just became a part of my body not my mind… But you're here…" he said, obviously confused.

"Oh come on! You saw me fade into you, including ALL features. If you try to lie about the things you've seen in the future, at least put some effort into it, you probably shouldn't lie to me though anyway, cause I always know what you're thinking really." the blonde replied, a bit annoyed.

"Oh yeah… Now I remember it…" he replied in a "oh…" voice.

"Finally…" Roxas muttered, "What was the breaking down all about anyway? I was sleeping until your thoughts turned into a frenzy around me!"

"Oh that? Uh… just the fact that I can't return to my home for a while…" Sora answered, feeling reluctant to talk about it again so early.

Roxas wasn't listening really, he seemed to be messing with a paupu fruit that he had picked off the tree earlier. His action didn't express anything to Sora except "uninterested".

"Hey, you ask and don't listen?" Sora asked, getting ticked off.

"Huh? Oh… Uh Sorry? Just kind of… tuned you out for a second… Sorry…" Roxas apologized, throwing the fruit aside.

"Well I said-"

"Okay, you can stop talking now, I heard you the first time." the blonde stated, cutting him off.

_The things, you say  
Your purple prose just gives you away  
The things, you say  
You're unbelievable_

"But you just sai- Did you even have manners when you still had a life?" Sora asked angrily, jumping off the trunk.

This earned him a dirty glare from the teen; he'd realized he had said the wronge thing too late. But for some reason, he barely regretted it.

"I'm sorry I barely had a life then! It's your damn girlfriend's fault I was created anyway so blame her!" Roxas yelled through gritted teeth.

"Don't you dare talk about Kairi like that ever again! And she's not my girlfriend!" Sora shouted back, though not being able to deny the fact that it _was_ because of her that Roxas was created.

_Roxas's POV_

_You burden me with your problems  
By telling me more than mine  
I'm always so concerned  
With the way you say  
You've always go to stop  
To think of us being one  
Is more than I ever know  
But god this time, I realize  
I'm going to shoot through  
And leave you_

"You think you've got problems then you're wronge! I can't even return home without putting everyone in danger! I have no fricken choice!" Sora cried, letting his anger get the best of him.

Roxas couldn't believe this guy! What was he on about? Apparently, he didn't know ANYTHING!

"I'm wronge? _I'm wronge?_ Oh My God! Where have you been? You think I'm happy? You think I'm better off than you!? I just figured out that my entire life was a lie and now I have to stay in this waste dump with _no one_ to talk to! I have no more family and no more friends! You really think _I'm_ happy? Being apart of _your_ spirit and having to listen to you explain _your _problems when you don't know the half of it!? You don't have it even a FIFTH as bad as I do! To stay apart of a guy, who is now practically my enemy, 's mind? It's hard to think we're the same person! Believe me, I'd give anything to be in your place right now! And really… to think I wanted to _meet_ you…" Roxas finished, the last part said with a regretful tone.

The blonde turned away with his back to his other, crossing his arms in half anger and half depression. After hearing all the things Roxas had to say, Sora couldn't believe what he had tried to say about his nobody. Roxas was right, and Sora couldn't believe he didn't see it at first. He pitied himself greatly after the dispute, looking down at the sand.

_The things, you say  
Your purple prose just gives you away  
The things, you say  
You're unbelievable_

"Roxas… I…" Sora started, trying to take it all back.

"No! Just go if you think I'm getting along just fine right here while you prance around everywhere! No, you better go and describe your life to everyone else for them to see how much more worse you have it than me and everyone else you know!" he interrupted, on the verge of tears.

"Roxas… No… I'm sorry… I just, was a bit ticked off okay… I didn't mean anything I said…" Sora continued, feeling even more like crap.

_Seemingly lastless, don't mean  
You can ask us  
Pushing down the relative  
Bringing out your higher self  
Think of the fine times  
Pushing down the better few  
Instead of bringing out the clues  
To what the world and everything anger to  
Brace yourself with the grace of ease  
I know this world ain't what it seems_.

"Oh, so now you're gonna pity me just to make me stop talking about how bad I have it huh? Too bad it already happened without need of your pity!" he said, turning around, his eyes shining in anger.

His eyes reflected the moon's details, putting Sora under a small luminous spell for a moment or two before he continued.

"Roxas! I said I'm sorry okay? And no, I'm not even close to pitying you, I'm too busy pitying myself about how stupid I was being earlier. And I'm not leaving until I earn your forgiveness!" Sora negotiated hopefully, he felt even worse about himself as Roxas's eyes shined even more.

"So… do you forgive me?" Sora asked, holding out a hand.

"No… It isn't that easy." Roxas answered, turning around to walk down to the island.

Sora followed him for a good number of minutes. Both were silent for a long while. Roxas was starting to get used to have Sora follow his every move. In fact, he was starting to have fun with it. He made the poor boy run into a palm tree a few times. For some reason, when Roxas was around, Sora could feel the objects and textures in his memories. He even felt the beach's sand fall inside his oversized shoes. It didn't feel the greatest, but it reminded him of home. Roxas didn't seem to notice that Sora before couldn't feel anything from his memories at all, nor the fact that he made everything solid for the cinnamon haired boy. After a while they made it back to the separate island again. No one had spoken the whole time. Roxas had laughed a couple of times though and a massive amount of "oomphs", "ows", and "ouches" were heard from his other.

Finally, Roxas decided to have a little more fun with Sora. As they were both sitting on the trunk of the paupu tree, Roxas leaped off and sprinted to the edge, jumped off, and grabbed a crevice on the side of the platform before hitting the water just on time. Of course, Sora ran up after him and jumped into the water. Roxas climbed back onto the ledge quickly as Sora broke through the surface. Leaning over the side, Roxas burst out laughing while looking at the drenched Sora in the ocean water.

Sora looked up at the Blondie and scowled.

_Sora's POV_

_What the fuck was that  
It's unbelievable_

"Nice Sora. Needed a bath?" Roxas joked, towering over the other.

Sora glared at the wise crack. Standing up, he wiped a few drops off of his clothes.

"Don't be pushed into lying Sora, you know it never prevails, especially the way you do." Roxas chuckled, reminding him about the few hours ago when they first really talked.

Sora wasn't really mad, he was happy that Roxas wasn't as sour toward him as before. So as Roxas turned to walk away, Sora snuck up and pushed behind the boy's kneecap, making him fall backwards into the water as well, making his clothes as drenched and damp as Sora's were. It was now Sora's turn to tower over him with laughter.

"That one wasn't fair! Did I pull you into the water?" Roxas whined, leaning back on his palms.

"No, but you might as well have!" Sora replied, saying it truthfully, still laughing, "Besides, I basically _pushed _you into the water."

"Oh come on, that still isn't fair, I wasn't stupid enough to follow you into the water. You used advantages against me!" he pointed out, standing up.

The other boy grinned from ear to ear, "So did you!"

Roxas mumbled to himself as he flicked spare droplets of water off. Sora just kept smiling. Roxas only glared back. Sora, being his goofy and giddy self, sprinted through the water toward his companion, ramming him into the water while he tripped over Roxas's shoe and fell, falling over into the water as well. Both heads crashed through the surface, both spluttering.

_You burden me with your questions  
You'd have me tell no lies  
You're always asking what it's all about  
But don't listen to my replies  
You say to me I don't talk enough  
But when I do I'm a fool  
These times I've spent, I've realized  
I'm going to shoot through  
And leave you_

"What was that for?!" Roxas seethed, coughing a bit.

"Oh just the fact that you _tricked_ me into running into 3 trees and had me jump into the water all just for your amusement and-glglglglglrg……"

Roxas had pounced on Sora while he was in mid-sentence, pushing him under water. But with Sora's quick thinking, brought his feet up and threw the boy over his head onto his back just as Simba had done to Scar. Both, broke the surface and laughed.

"You're always gonna be like that aren't you?" Sora asked, turning to see him.

"Like what?" Roxas asked in return, making sure his hair didn't go flat by flipping it.

"When you ask a question and I try to give you the answer, you either don't listen, or make me shut up in mid-sentence." Sora explained, staring at his nobody.

"Uh… Yeah…" Roxas admitted, taking a moment to think, "Hey, it's not my fault no one wants to hear you when you talk."

_Both POV_

_The things, you say  
Your purple prose just gives you away_

"Hey, now that's not true! You know _some_ people want to actually listen to my opinion." Sora argued with a whine.

"Yeah I know, I was just messing with ya." Roxas stated, standing up once more to let the salty liquid drip off of his clothes.

"Hey Roxas…"

"Hmm…?"

"How come you like to wear black and white?" Sora asked thoughtfully.

"Oh, I don't exactly know, I just started wearing them one day and it was comfortable for me to have on, so I have a lot of black and white clothes now. Then I started getting rings and sweatbands. They weren't much, but they were comfortable." Roxas elucidated widely.

"Ah… I see…" the brunette observed.

"What? Does it look bad or something?" Roxas asked, looking down at his clothes.

"Oh no, you look great! I was just wondering." said Sora defensively, scratching the back of his spiky cinnamon head.

"Oh… okay then." The blonde replied, smacking his hair to let the droplets splash out so it would return to its original pointy form.

_The things, you say,_

_Is why I love you more_

They climbed back up to the paupu isle and laid their backs on the soft sand. The sun was finally rising and they enjoyed the now warm breeze flowing over them. The blue shine of the moon was now gone and the reddish sun now reflected off of the seawater. Remembering the times Riku, him, and Kairi, would lay out on the sand like this, Sora held Roxas' hand in his own, thinking of the warm events of his past friendship. However Roxas, who had his eyes closed, opened them in surprise. Lifting his head, he looked at Sora's fingers entangled in his own. He stared at the boy's closed lids and cocked an eyebrow. Debating whether he should ask about it or not, his other squeezed his hand tightly, as if concentrating on something. Roxas felt the circulation being cut off from his fingertips.

"Am I going to get my hand back or are you gonna cut off all of its circulation?" Roxas asked, his hand falling asleep from the pressure.

Sora lifted his head to stare at his misdoing and snapped his hand back in embarrassment. Both sat up, feeling awkward after the sudden action. The blonde teen looked at Sora with concern and let his hand pat the other teen's shoulder in comfort to let him know that he really didn't mind, it was only the fact that his hand started to feel weird and empty.

"S-sorry…" the brunette stuttered, looking at the ground.

"Hey man, you okay? I know you didn't intend to, it's all right." he explained, keeping his gaze in place.

"Yeah. I'm okay…" Sora replied, looking up to meet his other's gaze.

_The things, you say_

_Your purple prose just gives you away_

As Sora looked up, Roxas' vision flashed and his old best friend Hayner was in front of him, where Sora just was. Roxas couldn't believe it! But yet he knew it was just a memory, but still, he wondered…

"Hayner…?" he asked, making sure he wasn't seeing things.

The other boy cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head, "Yeah?"

He had answered, and not in bewilderment. Roxas started shedding tears of happiness. He smiled in hope of this actually being real. But then, everything changed when the memory came back into reality. Sora had the same expression as Hayner did, only he really _was_ in bewilderment. Roxas' smile quickly melted away as his friend vanished. Sora looked at Roxas with concern, apparently, he wasn't the only one having flash backs. Roxas' tears of joy rapidly turned into miserable sad ones. The other teenager got even more worried as the blonde one sobbed. Just as Kairi did before, not long ago, Roxas leapt and cried on the cinnamon haired teen's shoulder, hugging him tightly. Sora took a few moments of shock at first from the unexpected twist, and then gently hugged the boy back. They had both been broken down into fragile boys, and Sora knew that they were in this together, whether they liked it, or not…

_The things, you say_

_You're Unbelievable_

"Roxas, it's okay, what's wronge? You just broke down without saying anything…" Sora stated, trying to sooth him by softly patting his back.

Roxas pulled away slowly, his eyes red, "It-it's nothing… I-I'm fine… Really…"

Sora raised in eyebrow, not believing him one bit, "Come on, you break out crying on my shoulder and when I asked you what's wronge, you say nothing and expect me to believe it?"

Roxas didn't answer until after a few moments, "You should be going now, it's already sunrise."

Sora didn't really care, "I'm not going anywhere while you're crying here in a fetal position in my mind!" he argued.

_You're So Unbelievable_

"Sora, I'm fine, it's just the fact that I saw someone for a second." the golden locked boy snapped back, wiping tears off of his cheeks.

"I, can tell, you're lyyyyyyyiiiiiinnnnggg…" he sang in a mock voice.

"Really! Now you're just being immature, but then again, you were always giddy!" the other one barked, starting to get ticked off, but strangely feeling better at the same time.

Sora took a deep breath, obviously having fun, "Who'd ya see?"

"I saw an old friend, I haven't seen him since forever, but really Sora, I'm fine, I just miss him." Roxas answered, raising his eyebrows at the jumpy Sora.

He knew that boy was giddy and goofy and well… high-spirited, but he was for some reason either really excited about something, or trying to make him laugh. It almost worked too, but sadly for him, it made him freaked out more than amused.

"You're telling me what yours and his relationship was, but I'm asking who he is." Sora restated, as if he were a teacher or councilor staying calm for his student.

"Sora, it was in my Twilight Town, you wouldn't have known them." Roxas answered once more, getting frustrated.

"Would I? I've been to Twilight Town Roxas. I might've known him… At least, I had a grand chance at it." the teen answered, encouragingly pushing him to tell him.

_You're Unbelievable_

"His name was Hayner alright? Happy now?!" Roxas turned away with his arms folded in irritation.

"Hayner! That's what you mumbled before you started sobbing! Hayner… Hmmm… Where have I heard that name before? Hayner… Err…" Sora sat there thinking and trying to remember why that name was so familiar, while Roxas rolled his eyes at the effort.

"Forget it Sora! You wouldn't know hi-"

"Oh! _That_ Hayner! Am I right? Tall blonde dude with his hair matted in some weird way? He hung out in one of the back alleys of Twilight Town didn't he?" Sora asked, making sure he was one the right track.

Roxas turned to face him in shock, "You know him? But I would've known if you had! I was apart of you the whole flippin time!"

"Yeah, he was the one that wore the camo pants and hung out with his two other friends, Pence and Oly I think?" Sora said thoughtfully.

"Uh… you mean Olette?" Roxas corrected in question.

"Yeah her! They all hung out at the Usual Spot I believe. I don't know how you didn't see them, we saw them a couple of times. And I don't know why, but I cried when we first left Twilight Town. It was only one tear though…" the brunette explained smiling.

"A tear huh? I think it was from _me_ then, sometime when I was dreaming. I was sleeping half the time when you were out protecting the worlds. There was nothing to do in here, so what else was there to do?" Roxas inquired both him and himself.

After a while of talking, they had stayed in his mind for at least five hours already. Roxas reminded him that he should better get back to the real world and told him that he would be fine. But before Sora left, they joked about the recent events that only occurred a few minutes ago or so.

Finally, the scene before Sora became fuzzy, and he stepped back with a smile on his face. Just before the image faded away, Sora had one last thing he wanted to say…

"Hey Roxas…" he called with a grin.

"Yeah" he answered, grinning back.

He smiled again before he lastly said,

_"You're Unbelievable…"_

_

* * *

_

**Hope I picked a good song for this one! Like it? Hate it? Love it? Feel 'meh' about it? Sorry... I just feel like asking alot of questions right now...**


	4. Ch3 The Mission Announced

_**Hey ya'll! Here's chapter 3. I forgot the three sisters' names in this chapter but I have them in the next! Sora for the late update! And why I say it's late is because it was already written, along with all the other chapters that were already written when I posted the prologue of the story! Anyway, have fun reading!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: I... Doesn't own the Teen Titans and blah... stuff like that...**

**Sora: Teen Titans? "_whispers to other"_ who are the Teen Titans?**

**Roxas: What makes you think _I_ would know?!? Anyway, I think she means, she doesn't own 'Kingdom Hearts'.**

**Sora: Oh, okay then... The the confusion must be because she just fell asleep... **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 3_

_**The Mission Announced**_

Sora opened his eyes with a blink. The sun had barely come out of the East, but the sky was already shining its sky blue. It had been a long night… and so much has happened since he started meditating. Roxas was sitting there, all alone in his head, but he said that he would be all right. So Sora didn't worry much. He looked down at his position, exactly how it was last night. He jumped off the hedge and headed down the Grand Hall to find some breakfast. Mickey was at the dining table, waiting to greet him. Minnie sat beside him, drinking some milk elegantly from a silver glass. The chipmunks weren't anywhere in sight, so it was just them for now.

"Good morning Sora!" both mice greeted merrily.

"Hey King Mickey!" he greeted in return and nodded at the Queen, "Queen Minnie."

Mickey handed him a plate of French toast and eggs. He happily took it with his appreciation. Sora hadn't noticed really until now, but his stomach was practically begging for food, threatening to eat his other organs if he didn't feed himself soon.

"Thank you…" he thanked, sitting down next to them to enjoy the meal.

"How long were you meditating Sora?" Minnie asked while they started taking pleasure in their food.

"Huh? Oh, about all night…" he answered, a bit nervously.

"I'm not surprised, you were sleeping all day yesterday, I kind of figured that you would wake up sometime during the night…" Mickey stated smiling.

Sora flushed a bit but was happy that they understood.

* * *

"Sora? How come you've been contemplating so much lately?" Mickey asked, as the day aged and the sun rose to the middle of the sky, approaching noon, "I've never really seen you meditate before."

They were just hanging out in the grand garden. Sora was skateboarding upon the hedges. There was nothing really to do as Mickey watched him perform various tricks in midair. The garden's slopes and ramps created excellent air catchers. Sora jumped across the mouse's view with an Ollie and turned and jumped over him with a nose and tail grab, one after the other. It took him a while to actually come up with a real answer. So finally, he landed and stopped in front of the small king. Sora made a thoughtful expression before answering.

"Uh… I don't know really, but when I figured that you wanted to talk to me before, it gave me stress, so I started meditating before you arrived to relax, when…" he trailed off, not sure of what he should tell the king.

"When… what Sora?" Mickey asked with concern.

After a few moments, Sora decided that it was okay for the king to know about what was in his head at the current moment, "When… I met someone…"

"Ah… You know Sora, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but if you do, I just want to assure you that you can trust me…" the mouse replied, standing up with a kind smile.

Sora knew that the king was not lying, but he just wasn't quite ready to tell someone about Roxas yet, so he benevolently declined to confide with the mouse, and thanked Mickey. The king understood perfectly how Sora felt about telling him such personal information, and smiled. The two, after quite some time, took a stroll to the throne room in happiness. Little did Sora know that Mickey hadn't told him everything yet. They entered the huge empty room as their footsteps echoed throughout the space. Mickey however, didn't slow his pace but instead, turned to the left. He was heading towards a small shelf that stood out of the wall that Sora had never noticed before. There was a white candle set upon it, its flame crackling silently. King Mickey then blew it out with a single silent breath. Immediately, a bookshelf appeared on the wall in front of the pair as Sora watched in amazement. Mickey pulled a single scroll from under a mountain of dust and blew the filth off of its paper curves. He unrolled it rapidly.

"Now, let's get back to business and learn about this bounty hunter!" the mouse stated determinedly.

Sora circled him to read the scroll himself, "What is this?"

"This shelf holds all the stuff that Yen Sid has been sending us. Whenever he wants to give us information, it appears upon this shelf, obviously, we hadn't had time to check it in a while, but now we have." Mickey affirmed, pointing at the shelf in explanation.

"Oh…"

They quickly got back to reading the words in fine type. Little did they know that a picture had fallen out and hovered to the floor.

Reading each line carefully, it said:

_King Mickey, _

_There isn't much time, so retrieve the boy with haste and with caution. I have collected some new information while you have been gone, but don't fret about his doings, with him settling in your castle, he should be fine._

_Revealed in this scroll is some information about the threat that has been traveling through the various worlds._

_It will help you on your search, and sorry for me blabbering on about it in this introduction. The information is not written by my hand, so you may have an easier time reading it._

_Master Yen Sid_

**Through dark corridors and chambers, he seeks for the one and only. He will not rest till his prey is diminished. Why does he heed about this one child and his fate? That, we do not know. He is a bounty hunter, a restless shadow in a thought as he strides to find what he is looking for without a hint of doubt. His pointed teeth are no greeting to others when he claws through your body as if it were tissue paper. But at this time, he does not wish to destroy this prey of his, oh no, but he explores for a use of him of some sort that we also do not understand. When the child will be found, he will not die, at least not in an instant, but will be used for something even more grand and precious to the seeker. Yet again though, he does not feel for his victim, so it will never be pleasant to be in his presence.**

**A strong theory that has overruled all others about this fiend is that he is searching for a prophecy. Thus, the prophecy is not known by anyone that we could reach, and remains a mystery to us. What is thy looking for oh dreamless one? Why must you scavenge for your answers to be told? Is there but no end to this madness?**

**Oh whom we fear most, it was thought that a young boy was your prey, and now it has been proven to be true, oh explorer of worlds and destroyer of life. Yet we will not willingly hand him over to thou art, for there is no fair reason to. Yet we will not rest as you reign your very aura in our kingdoms and as you search viciously. But we are determined to stay out of your way, for we all fear you even if in no harm.**

It took them a while to take the message in as Sora shook violently in fear. He was all too easy to take down against this experienced brute. He would not have a chance to defend himself in his presence, even if he tried for his life. Why did this villain hate him so? Or want him so badly for this mysterious reason? Even though Sora was so frightened, his body shaken, he would stand up to the hunter with bravery even though with fear beside him also. Mickey closed the message along with his eyes. His sympathy for Sora was brutal. He turned to face the shaking boy in despair.

"Sora? I'm sorry to frighten you like this, but we must gather every little hint that we can find, and you should know about it as well for you have the right to, and because you are the full concern of everyone." Mickey explained sadly, "But no matter what, we will stand by your side and protect you for as long as we can. Your friends will not abandon you Sora, _all_ of them will fight for you…"

Sora was soothed by his words, and knew that he was right. They wouldn't abandon him, even if he wished them to for their own sakes. But this was both good _and_ bad… He was grateful for their support, but also was scared for them to be harmed just for him. He wouldn't allow it, not once. That night he thought about a solution until he slowly drifted to sleep. Roxas soon floated into his thoughts and dreams. The boy being there in front of him made Sora relax from his current nightmares. He wasn't sure why, but every time he saw the blonde, he filled Sora with grace and blessing just by looking at him. Before his dreams drifted into darkness, a whisper graced his ears…

"_Mickey is right Sora… We will never abandon you…"_

* * *

Sora awoke, strangely into his giddy self once more. Although somewhere deep within his noggin filled with imagination, a certain golden boy smirked. Sora jumped out of bed in glee, his hair ruffled and a bit of a mess. After looking at his reflection in the mirror, he decided to take a nice long bath. He didn't worry about his uniform because it would automatically clean itself each time it was taken off. Rushing to the bathroom, he rushed by Lady Daisy and greeted her as he ran passed. She waved back in surprise.

Finally, he opened the door to pure snow whiteness as he walked through the huge and empty room. His shoes already off, he pulled his socks off first and laid them on the floor next to the sink as he turned on, and let the tub fill up. One by one, he stripped each garment off his body and felt the warm air touch his whole body as the tub automatically stopped. It was vast and vacant (except for the water of course) and could be used like a swimming pool, a small one although. He stepped into the hot simmering water and felt it warm him all the way to his brow. Closing the curtains, he lied down peacefully, letting the water soothe and massage his muscles. They did feel a bit soar. A bottle cap like opening on the side of the tub flipped open and bubbles were released to Sora's surprise. This was a _very _luxurious castle. As the bubbles closed in, he laid there in relaxation. After a few minutes, he laughed his heart out when the jets came on. Now the water was really massaging him from his shoulders to his toes. Now this was what he called a hot tub! But of course, just a bath tub all the same. Though he did admit that the King and Queen had spectacular tastes.

After ¾ of an hour, Sora stepped out and grabbed a dry fluffy towel and covered his bare body from the waist, down. He looked into the mirror at himself and smiled. His body was fully reenergized and his skin had no sign of distaste. Taking another towel, smaller than the other, he dried his face elegantly and without rush. He felt like taking time in these procedures and took a while to get dressed once more.

Flying back down stairs, he greeted everyone that passed or more so, that _he_ passed. Finally turning down the hall to see Mickey, he took the little mouse and thrusted him into the air and caught him in a hug. Mickey thought this completely uncalled for and froze like a deer in headlights.

"Hey King Mickey! Great morning huh?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear, it seemed that he was happier than a tornado in a trailer park.

"Huh? Uh, yeah… What made you so perky this morning?" Mickey asked with surprise, staring at Sora, a bit worried.

"Ah… Just a night filled with nice and soothing dreams. Oh and, you and Minnie have great taste, the bath that I just took was both relaxing and entertaining." he said, trailing off the subject.

"Ah… So, what sort of dreams did ya have?" the mouse asked after he had flushed from the comment.

"Uh… You know what? I'm not sure, but they felt great." he replied as he thought, _'Hmmm… Roxas? What sort of dreams did I have, I think you were in some of 'em… eh? What am I doing? Roxas can't hear me…'_

'_Don't be so certain, and no, I don't recall any of your dreams last night, because I was sleeping too, and I don't think I had the same dream as yours because mine was a bit awkward…'_ the blonde's voice rung in his mind.

Sora, in astonishment, replied in thought, _'Wow, I didn't know that I could telepathically talk to you… oh, and what was your dream about then?'_

'_Well duh you can still talk to me telepathically, I live in your fricken head! And I'm not sure. I only recall that it had something to do with a chicken, and a pie…'_ Roxas answered awkwardly.

'_Ah…'_

"Sora? Sora? You okay?"

The king's voice broke his connection with Roxas and his vision cleared to see the little rodent. Sora, feeling a bit disappointed at his lost connection, slowly answered that he was fine.

"Okay, so you don't know what was in your dream then?" Mickey asked, continuing the conversation.

"No, I don-"

Suddenly, a flash of Roxas and himself flickered into his head and in the image, they were holding each other's hands sweetly. Sora held his head in confusion and closed his eyes.

"Sora! Are you all right? You don't look well…" the mouse stated in worry.

"Nah I'm fine, just a weird sudden headache waver." Sora replied, trying to sound honest and was believed, "Well, I think I'm gonna go visit Yen Sid m'kay? I'll take the train."

Mickey looked concerned at his sudden action, but then eventually granted him permission as he set off through the stars.

As Sora lay there on the seats of the train by his lonesome, a golden boy's voice crept into his head.

'_What was that!?' _Roxas asked in shock.

'_What?'_ came Sora's reply.

'_That image that suddenly popped into your head, was that us?'_ he asked cocking an eyebrow.

'_Ye-Yeah…'_ Sora answered with a flush. Luckily, it didn't seem that Roxas had seen or noticed the holding hands part, otherwise, he would've bothered the boy for an eternity.

After a while as the train ate up the tracks, Sora felt sorry for Roxas, who was in a worse state than he. Finally, he decided to cast a telepathic conversation with his other.

'_Roxas?'_ he asked thoughtfully, _'You don't like it in there, do you?'_

'_Hmmm? Uh… I'm not sure… I'm content, but sometimes I just wish I could have a bit more freedom you know? Like you.'_ he commented considerably, _'Why? I'm apart of you Sora, and that's all I'll ever be…'_

Sora grimaced at the reply. He didn't want Roxas to live like this and be miserable forever. He also wanted more freedom for him, but how could he accomplish such a thing?

Finally, the train squealed to a stop in front of the small floating island. The large blue tower lay adrift it in peacefulness. Everything was touched by the master's powerful magic and had its own unique abilities.

Sora stepped out slowly as the train disappeared in sparks behind him in silence. He walked and approached the tower. He then opened the door and walked up the three long flights of stairs to the master's door and knocked. There was a pause until a low, "Proceed…" sounded through the door in a deep voice.

Sora opened it and walked into the mysterious room. A tall man in a blue robe and a pointy hat was standing on the opposite side of the room, looking at some extremely thick books.

Sora didn't mean to interrupt anything and took a step backwards, "S-sorry…"

"Oh it is quite all right. I said you may walk in, and walk in you shall." he answered, slipping the book into its place.

"Oh thanks for that… I was kind of worried that I disturbed you from reading…"

"It is fine, Sora. So what do I owe this stay of yours at my tower?" Yen Sid asked, turning around to face him.

He looked a bit older, but over all, still the same. He had his same glaring eyes, which always scared Sora.

"Well, King Mickey told me about the bounty hunter… And he kind of showed me the scroll you sent about him." Sora answered, a bit nervously.

"Ah… now I see… You may stay for as long was you wish my young lad… But know this, when the time comes, I encourage that you make haste on a dangerous but for your own sake's journey through peril but to confidence." Yen Sid explained wisely, but leaving Sora a bit confused.

"Thank you Master Yen Sid… but, how will I know that it is time?" he inquired with concern.

"Trust me my pupil, you will know…" the wizard answered with a smile.

Sora nodded and decided to pay the three sisters a small visit to see how've they been. But just a small one, they still kind of weirded him out. Opening the door, he saw them conversing gleefully just like before, which screamed "De ja vu!" to the poor boy. But he shrugged it off and greeted them.

"Why hello Dear! We never thought we would see you again…" the oldest of them commented happily.

'_Neither did I…_' he thought, making a stressful and cracked smile.

"Hello Sora!" the other two greeted in unison.

"Hey ya'll! And of course I'd check up on you! I still have yet to thank you for the cool outfit!" he answered, still smiling that smile, "So, thanks!"

They smiled in return, not noticing the effort in his grin, "So… do you need us to poof up a guest bed for your staying the night?" the chubby blue one asked.

"Of course we should! Where is he going to sleep? Come along dear, here is an empty guest room right through here." the skinny green one exclaimed, while leading them through the doorway on the right.

They were right; the entire room was completely empty and white. There were smaller rooms attached to it and Sora guessed them to be the personal bathroom and the closet.

"Here now…" the pink one said, designing the room in one flick of her wand.

It looked great and luxurious but… pink…

"Now, now, isn't this better?" the second oldest in green argued, waving her wand.

The room was now in a different lavish style but fully green.

"You mean no, no!" the youngest one interrupted, a bit irritated.

'_Ah… here we go again… I better get out of the way._" Sora thought stressfully, but it was too late to just walk out.

A flurry of sparks sailed through the air with yells. It was the war between sisters as the sparks changed everything. Sora hid on the side of the bed as he dodged a red spark and then a green one. Rolling to other side of the room, he rushed into the bathroom and rapidly closed the door as 3 sparks hit the door. The yells were muffled, but could clearly be known as whistles as sounded from the sparks like fireworks.

Sora breathed heavily with a sigh. The bathroom was already completely made and was a light shade of yellow. The ground had dark blue but soft carpeting and curtains matched it. It was really nice. Sora sat for a while until the yelling had died down. He then cautiously opened the door.

The place looked amazing, yet a bit weird in some places but still amazing nonetheless. This is why the battle had ceased as the sisters stood in awe. They then showed smiles on their plump faces.

"Wow guys… It's amazing, thanks!" Sora exclaimed, looking at the room in astonishment.

Even though he thought them to be a bit gauche, he knew they meant well, and they did well too.

The room had dark blue carpeting and light blue walls. The bed was black except for the white pillow and under sheets. There were green stars nicely painted like dots, all around the walls and ceiling like the night sky and were glowing. It also had a few clouds here and there. There was a wardrobe on the left side of the room and had a reddish tinge to it, There was also a large nightstand next to the bed that matched it. A butterfly chair in black fake fur was sitting on the right side of the room. To top it all off, red and green flames bordered the horizon between the floor and the walls. To a normal person with picky tastes, it would have looked a bit weird, but it looked creative and fitting to Sora.

"You're quite welcome Sora." the skinny sister answered happily as the three apologized for their bickering and left the room.

Sora kicked off his shoes and jumped onto the puffed up bed in exhaustion.

Sitting there without sleep for a half hour, Sora got up and walked across the room to the wall to the right of his bed, which was set in the middle of the light room. The thought of his nobody crossed his mind as he touched the dry painted partition. Suddenly, a segment of the face of it where he had touched started shining brightly. It took the shape of a human, his knees cut off at the flames. It was a life-sized picture of Roxas. His arms were folded and a smile was bore onto his face.

Sora stepped back in surprise to look at the image. He patiently waited for a remark from a voice in his head but nothing was heard (he probably was asleep… _again…_). Sora sadly remembered Roxas' old life. Hayner, Pence, and Olette were his best friends in his fake existence. With guilt, Sora ran his finger around Roxas with a slow and gentle motion and a white shine followed its trail. Sparkling slightly, the forms of Roxas' three friends surrounded the boy. Hayner, his hand around Roxas' neck and upon his shoulder, his other hand in a peace sign with a smirk. Below him, Pence was kneeling with a bright smile, holding his camera in one hand and a "live long and prosper" sign in the other. He kind of looked like a poser because his arms were crossed in a gangster position. The only person to his right was Olette. She was bent forward in front of the blonde with her hands on her knees. She also had a peace sign, All of the smiles glowing, Sora called in the oldest sister of the three fairy godmothers in.

"Yes dear?" she asked walking inside.

"Can you add one more thing into the room?"

* * *

**_Cliffhanger! RUHAHAHAHAHHAHA! ...Ahem... Yeah, wonder what he's about to do? Find out in the next chapter!_**


	5. Ch4 The Parting Brotherly Love

_**Yeah, here's the fourth edition. See? Told ya it would be evenslyrics! Anyway, yup! Here is the solution to the cliffhanger! This entirely brotherly love! No shounen ai relations at ALL!... yet...**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Roxas: Damn! You're hot Namine!**

**Namine: Oh lay off...**

**Sora: Dorks...**

**Kairi: 'chuckles' Too cute...**

**Me and Riku: Awww... How sweet... It's gross... (me: I definately don't own this thing or the song...) **

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* * *

_

_Chapter 4_

_**The Parting**_

_**(Brotherly Love)**_

_Entirely Sora's POV_

_Look into my eyes - you will see  
What you mean to me  
Search your heart - search your soul  
And when you find me there you'll search no more_

Sora left the room happily, proud of his work. He walked down the hall in glee to find some supper.

'_What are you smirking about?'_

'_Finally, where were you?_'

'_Sleeping… again…_'

'_Ah… Well I'm about to eat though so… I'll talk to ya later m'kay?_'

'_Fine, but I expect an answer to my question by then._'

Sora's smirk grew wider as the blonde stopped talking. The nobody sat back on Sora's memory of a bed and fell back asleep, having no clue what Sora had going on through his mind. Roxas was truly bored as Sora shared an interesting conversation with Master Yen Sid about him. They kept their conversation going even after the food was finished, standing around in Yen Sid's room. Finally, it grew to nightfall, even though all you saw around the tower were the Northern Lights and stars.

"Is this your true decision? For this cannot be undone. I have always known about your nobody, for I have met him before you awoke from your two-year sleep. He was looking for you like he had said, but his heart was broken." Yen Sid explained with a grimace.

"Wait… what?! But how did he have a heart? He's a no-"

"I was fully aware of this Sora. By his heart being broken, I meant he had lost everything and his only purpose was to find you. He was a truly lost child. But all he wanted was advice instead of a place to stay when I invited him, so I told him that Twilight Town was where you would be found…" he answered before Sora could finish.

"I see… Then yes… I'm sure about my decision…" the teen replied with dismay.

"Okay… I support you choice, for it is only your decision that guides you along your life's path." he replied smiling, "But not tonight, I must gain up my strength for such an event. We will proceed next week, when my strength is at full power, but this loss will immensely weaken me, so you must promise to succeed my protection till I get my strength back to fair power in payment." he described with trust in the boy.

"I agree with you no doubt and keep my promise." Sora answered, locking his loyalty in place.

Walking back to his room, Sora got ready for bed. His shoes were back on, but he kicked them off once more.

'_So, where's my answer?_' Roxas asked, a bit tired, making Sora jump.

"Huh? Oh… um…" Sora hesitated aloud; making sure Roxas couldn't see the mural of him and his friends.

"Just the fact that the room looked cool." Sora answered out loud to himself.

'_Oh… okay then, g'night_' Roxas responded, obviously buying the lie (he probably was too tired to argue if he knew anyway, Sora _was_ a sucky liar).

"… Good night…" he answered, falling asleep while looking at the fresco for Roxas.

Someone else would be sleeping in this bed in a week, so Sora wanted to fall asleep to this painting as often as he could.

As Sora stayed at Yen Sid's Tower, the days passed by quickly and Yen Sid gathered energy like he said he would. Sora kept mumbling about the special day so Roxas kept asking about it suspiciously, not knowing what was about to go on. Omitted from the information between the wizard and the teen, Roxas sat in a corner and pouted about it to Sora everyday, which he just chuckled at. The king frequently sent letters every three-day period to both Yen Sid and Sora to see how everything was. They both answered positively, not giving even a hint about the plan currently at hand. Sora was often caught talking out loud to himself and only blushed and turned away, shrugging it off. The wizard was the only one who understood why Sora did this. Finally, the night was only minutes away and Yen Sid had called Sora to his office room. The teenager entered nervously, Roxas keeping silent.

"It is time… Are you and your friend ready Sora?" Yen Sid asked slowly, standing up in front of his desk.

"Yes master…" Sora answered nodding while Roxas stayed quiet, wondering what was about to happen.

"Okay… Listen carefully keyblade master… For me to succeed in this matter, you must remove all blockades around the wall of your mind. This will help me enter your thoughts and complete the task. Allow Roxas to relax, and everything will be fine. This will take a few minutes, but everything will be quicker now than if I didn't gather my energy over the week." he explained assuredly.

'_Sora? What are you doing? What is he talking about and how does he know about me while I'm living in your head?_" Roxas asked, both afraid and angry.

_Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
You can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for  
You know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you_

"Just relax Roxas, he isn't our enemy and can be greatly trusted. I've told him about you and he's gonna do something for both our benefits." Sora answered soothingly with no hint of deceit in his voice.

Roxas fell silent, trusting his other but still suspicious.

"Now Sora, be one with your mind and meditate. You should be present as I do this." the master commanded.

Sora did so and entered his mind. But he did not enter his dark memory chamber, instead, he was in front of a dungeon door. It was locked, but Sora stayed patient. He slowly unlocked and pulled open the door. Burning light pierced his ocean tinted eyes immediately as his hand shielded his face. The light eventually faded and the teen entered a small dungeon. It was familiar, looking like the dungeon where he fought the possessor in order to save Beast's servants, although he was facing the first and second level than the possessor's door. Roxas was dangling his legs over the ledge of the second floor level, looking down upon the boy. The giant suits of armor weren't guarding the door behind him like in the enchanted castle, instead, it was just a doorless corridor. The blonde smiled charmingly as Yen Sid arrived behind him, his fingertips touching together. All the while in the real world, Yen Sid stood in front of the limp boy in silence as his hands were lifted and his eyes were closed. A ball of light appeared between his parallel palms. Shining brightly, two smaller balls of light floated from the sphere's position and swerved to the flaccid body. In Sora's mind, Roxas had jumped down to his level with an unsure expression. Sora nodded, reassuring that nothing bad was to happen to either of them. Roxas trusted him with every bone in his body.

On the outside world, everything faded into a flash of light as Yen Sid's energy concentrated on the teenager. A few seconds raced by and it faded back out. There were two thumps and two limp bodies were sprawled out onto the floor. Yen Sid stood bent over onto his knees in exhaustion, he felt very weak and was about to topple over himself, but he was stronger than that. He waved his hand and the three godmothers ran in to his call and gasped.

"Master Yen Sid! Sora! Ah-… Um… Other boy!" MerryWeather cried after hesitating in shock.

Each of the three ran to one separate person. Flora, to Yen Sid, Fauna, to Sora, and MerryWeather, to Roxas.

"Master, what happened?" Flora asked in shock.

"Nothing-ah… Happened… And I'm… fine I'd just need to stimulate my strength and rest. I… will be fine…" the master said in fatigue, reassuring the three sisters with a heavy breath.

The pair left the room, Flora supporting the wizard's weight over her shoulder as he leaned on her, leaving the other four still inside.

"Come along MerryWeather… They too, can only be given rest as a cure. They will wake up in no time. We should carry them to Sora's room, I think I recall Flora saying that Sora requested an extra bed for his own reasons." Fauna assumed, lifting Sora and letting him drag his feet as his arm was over her shoulder and she hauled him into the room.

MerryWeather copied her movements without hesitation, and a bit more at ease while carrying Roxas in the same way. The two boys weighed exactly the same, it was just that MerryWeather could be said stronger than Fauna and Flora.

_Look into your heart - you will find  
There's nothin' there to hide  
Take me as I am - take my life  
I would give it all - I would sacrifice_

Fauna lied Sora down onto the extra bed that was unused while MerryWeather set Roxas on Sora's old bed, next to where the frieze was. They both left the room silently after tucking the boys under the covers. They didn't worry much about them for there was no bruise or scratch found etched into their skin. They were just unconscious. Yen Sid too, now lied on his bed in weariness, breathing heavily. The three thought and agreed it best not to ask questions until one was well enough to answer them.

* * *

_**The Next Morning**_

Roxas awoke facing the wall. His vision was blurry but his muscles were restless. He did not feel tired nor weak, and his vision quickly relaxed and became clear. Roxas blinked a few times, not recalling where he was. He jumped out of bed, ready to attack someone in fright, but only looked around the room to find that it was deserted. He looked at the vacant bed that was unmade and turned his head back to the wall.

There was a picture of him and his three friends. He almost cried at the mural of them. He now knew where he was and after a few minutes of staring at the painting, slowly turned and walked off to find Sora. He was eating down at the main hall. The table in white cloth was huge! Way too big for just four people, but Yen Sid _did_ seem to be the type with grand taste like the King and Queen of Disney Castle. Lucky for Roxas, Sora's back was to him and he did not notice him walk in, or the grateful yet sad smile on his face. He turned it into a smirk as he dropped a hand onto the brunette's shoulder, making him jump in surprise.

"Hey Sora! Glad to see you in the flesh." Roxas exclaimed with a smirk.

"Roxas! It's 11:00 o'clock in the morning! Were you _that_ unconscious?" Sora retorted with a question, covering his recent freak out.

Roxas took a seat next to him as the only pair at the table. The three sisters were off doing chores and Yen Sid was still at rest.

"I guess…" he answered, grabbing a bite to eat as Sora sucked in a noodle of soup.

Surprisingly, only the sounds of movement graced the room as Roxas and Sora ate. They were silent the whole time, as if too parched and starved to stop eating and converse. The truth behind it was that the tension between the two was too uncomfortable to break or stand. After they ate all they could, they still refused to break the silence and looked around the room and sometimes glanced at each other. It had been twenty minutes since Roxas had scared Sora and both weren't prepared to talk. But finally, Roxas broke the not-so-never-ending wall of silence between them.

"Sora? You know you didn't have to do this… It was my fate to become a part of you… My wants do not comply with yours, so you didn't really have to." Roxas stated sadly with a slight shadow of shock on his face.

_Don't tell me it's not worth fightin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you_

"I know Roxas… But I wanted to… And I wanted a companion, and you wanted a heart. It was for both our benefits. I wouldn't stand living without a heart and in someone else's mind, it would just drive me insane, so I did for you exactly what I would want from my other." Sora explained with a small smile.

"I-… I, have a heart now?" Roxas asked, almost choking back tears of shock and joy as he placed a hand on his chest, looking down at it.

"Yeah… You now have your own heart Roxas… But it's bound with mine… Meaning our hearts are one or at least connected… Think of it as sharing a paupu fruit or something." Sora answered happily, standing up from the cushioned dining chair.

Roxas stood in silence with a blank expression. His eyes were shining brightly though as salted water shrouded his hue's pitch-black pupils. Both pairs of eyes bored into the others in stillness. Sora still had his shining smile pasted on his flawless face though while Roxas' expression stayed blank. Suddenly, once again Sora was found being hugged by Roxas tightly. He could feel the blonde's warm tears sliding down to touch his face as Roxas shut his eyes strongly. Sora looked at the side of Roxas' spiked head in surprise just like before, ad gently hugged him back. Thinking of Roxas' immense gratefulness toward the other teen, his hug grew as tight as his, he too shutting his eyes.

They stood like that for a few moments, each soothing each other's overjoyment. Until finally, they broke apart, Sora's palm now planted on the boys shoulder in brotherly friendship, both grinning blissfully but yet still softly. Roxas' tears had ceased as they stood.

"Thanks Sora… This was the best thing you ever could've done for me…" Roxas whispered, his voice breaking in happiness.

"Don't mention it." Sora shrugged, a bored smile on his face.

Roxas put the hand on Sora's shoulder so the framed space between them looked like a square. They smiled at each other and left the room together, the table automatically cleaning itself. They walked to the balcony and watched the starlit sky while conversing merrily. It was too peaceful for the both of them as they shared one of the happiest moments of their young lives.

Their smiles never faded as the days slid by. Roxas, every morning, would make sure that he would wake up earlier than Sora to stare at the mural beside his bed, knowing without a doubt that the brunette made it for him. Sora was the kindest being he had ever met, and he never wanted their friendship to change in a disastrous way, nor his other's life. They were almost brothers, but merely best friends, even closer than Riku and Sora's friendship. Roxas knew every secret Sora had, including his crush on Kairi and supported him fully, though sometimes teasing him like a little brother, although their ages were the same. Besides, Sora teased him back about Naminé. The only problem with his crush though was that Naminé was still mixed with Kairi's being, and could never be divided. Roxas' heart would be crushed if not for Sora, but he didn't say much about it. They also paid Yen Sid a visit everyday, just to thank him for the enormous favor, he only would wave it off with a smile each time.

Their happiness could only dwindle as they spent most of their time together, being almost inseparable. But of course, that thought turned into later fate as a message had been sent to the tower by the King. Flora had walked to their balcony and given it to them with a gentle smile. Sora took the message and unrolled it. Two pieces of parchment were taped together as the King's sealed was broken. It read:

_Dear Sora,_

_A message was sent to the castle by your close friend, Kairi. I did not read a word of it except the senders name if it were to be personal, so I respected your privacy. Please take my word for it. I attached the letter to this paper so I could tell you this; I bet they miss you as much as you miss them, Sora!_

_Sincerely, _

_The King,_

_Mickey Mouse_

_Dear Sora,_

_Hey Sora! It's me, Kairi. I hope you're fine and we wish you luck and safety even though you're just making a visit to the King. Riku and I miss you a lot and Naminé can now talk to me. Can Roxas talk to you in your mind? Just wondering. We wish you the best on your stay I guess I have to say again cuz we really do! We hope you can come home as soon as possible!_

_But Sora? The reason I really sent this to you was to tell you something. Riku and I… I don't know if I can do this, and write it to you… It seems a bit cold, doesn't it since the news isn't in person huh? I'm truly sorry if it does… And it's been happening for a while now, and it just didn't feel right to not write to you about it… So I finally gathered what courage was within me and now I've finally and successfully wrote it! "smiley face" But yeah, back to the point. What I really am trying to say is that Riku and I, are now together, Sora… I-_

Sora dropped the letter right then, letting it float to the ground. Tears threatened to drip from his eyelids. He felt betrayed and shocked at the 'fantastic' news. '_How could they?_' he almost thought, even knowing that they didn't really know his true feelings for Kairi, '_She even responded to my drawing…_' Roxas wasn't paying attention while looking out at the sky until he heard the piece of parchment sweep onto the floor. He looked at Sora as he stood frozen, his eyes completely empty of feeling.

"Sora!" he almost yelled, dashing to the teen.

He stared into the once pure, blue ocean eyes that were now small, gray and cold. The words replayed over and over across the brunette's mind. He couldn't escape it. He broke down, dropping to his knees on the floor, his face in his hands as he refused to cry. Roxas knelt with him and picked up the letter. After taking a minute to read it, his face turned into shock. He also let it drop and look sympathetically at Sora. Once he let his palm make contact with Sora's shoulder, the keyblade wielder embraced the blonde and finally let his tears pour onto the boys shoulder.

_There's no love - like your love  
And no other - could give more love  
There's nowhere - unless you're there  
All the time - all the way_

Roxas never let his grasp loosen as Sora cried himself to sleep on Roxas' shoulder. Slowly and gently, Roxas slipped out of Sora's hug and picked him up, letting him piggyback ride him as he carried him to the bedroom without a word. He pulled back the soft covers with one hand while his other one held up Sora by his legs. Slowly, he lied him down onto the soft bed, tucking him in under the covers. He watched his tear stained face for a moment and looked at his wall with the mural on it. He then walked to the wall next to Sora's bed. He wasn't sure if this was the right choice or not, but he would do it for Sora's friendship with them, not for their love. He softly touched the light wall and Sora's image appeared like Roxas' life sized one, only Riku and Kairi were already there and he had one arm around each of their shoulders. They only were bent forward a little and carried smiles. After a second, Roxas added the final touch of Donald and Goofy crouched underneath the two friends on Sora's sides. They were one big happy family.

Roxas walked over to his mural and sat on his bed to stare at it. Something was missing, something Roxas knew should've been there all along. He touched the vacant space over Olette's head, looked at the image once more, and fell asleep uncovered.

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes to his mural. Once again, Sora had awoken before him and had deserted the room. Roxas looked at the mural once more and walked over to look at Sora's. Between Donald and Goofy, there was a new edition, which only made Roxas smile. After that, he searched the castle until eventually finding the keyblade master outdoors, swinging his legs off the very edge of the floating island. Roxas shortly joined him in silence, but immediately, the silence was broken by Sora to Roxas' astonishment.

"Roxas…? We're best friends, right?" Sora asked, still looking at the stars.

A competitor's voice couldn't have been even more innocent or fragile as his right then. Roxas hesitated to answer.

"Of course, I would never want to be anything less…" he answered, laying his hand upon the boy's shoulder.

"Neither would I… I never want our friendship to break… ever…" Sora stated, looking down at his thighs.

Roxas laid his head on top of Sora's shoulder with his arm around his neck. Sora responded with his arm around his shoulder and with laying his head upon Roxas'. Their relationship couldn't have been brotherlier.

_Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth tryin' for  
I can't help it - there's nothin' I want more  
I would fight for you - I'd lie for you  
Walk the wire for you - ya I'd die for you_

It wasn't long until Yen Sid was at his normal strength once more and just in time for Sora to be called back to the castle. He hated to leave their bedroom behind but the three sisters established without question that they would never change a millimeter of it, much to the two's pleasure. They soon found themselves boarding the gummi ship, waving their goodbyes to the four occupants of Yen Sid's Tower. As they flew through the stars of space, they found the Disney Castle growing into view. Sora glanced over at Roxas as he drove and only smiled at his friend.

_Ya know it's true  
Everything I do - I do it for you

* * *

_

**Do not complain about the song only being for couple love, because if you picture it right, you can see it BOTH ways! Now either shutup about it or I haunt your dreams while you sleep!**


	6. Ch5 The Leagues of Iceland Pt1

_**Chapter 5... This is the first chapter that Roxas and Sora explore the five new worlds (one a mini like Winni-the-Pooh). The first one is based on the Walt Disney movie, "Atlantis, The Lost Empire" which I also disclaim. Here we go!**_

**Diclaimer:**

**Axel:We're not owned, otherwise the owner would be burning alive right now. **

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* * *

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_Chapter 5_

_**The Beginning**_

_**(The Leagues Of Iceland Part 1)**_

Strangely, Chip and Dale weren't at the hanger bay when the two landed, but they didn't think much of it as they walked onto the garden's freshly cut grass. Without a word, the teens made their way to the Library. As they walked inside, a mouse turned his head to greet them.

"Sora! Eh… Who is this?" he asked strangely, walking up a few steps.

"This is Roxas… Sorry I didn't tell you about him in my letters, I kind of had other things to do… But long story-short, I'll tell you about it later your majesty." Sora answered sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Roxas felt uncomfortable as the King's piercing stare hit his body. It felt like he was watching him, daring him to move because Roxas froze. Sora came to the rescue without knowing it when he broke the tension. For this, Roxas was forever grateful.

"So, how come you wanted me back to early? Is there something wronge?" Sora ansked, a bit more concerned now.

Mickey's stare immediately gave way as he turned to Sora with determination. He then motioned the two to follow him (with a suspicious look at the blonde) as he walked to the Throne Room without a word. Then, they entered the hall of the Cornerstone, shining its mysterious limelight. No thorns in sight… not an inch of darkness could be noticed. Everything seemed all right. As they came to a halt, a puff of dazzling smoke ruptured out of nowhere and the other great wizard, Merlin, appeared in front of the trio.

"Ahem! Ahem! Comflabbit, this dreadful teleportation trick isn't what it use to be! Now! You called Mickey?" the old wizard asked kindly, still coughing a bit.

He was one of the only ones who ever called the King by just his first name. Then again, it didn't seem that the mouse could care less if they said, "King Mickey" or "Your Majesty" or just plain "Mickey"…

"Oh yes Merlin, a few days ago you mentioned new worlds and routes that opened since the last battle with the organization. We need some information about them if we have to check up on them. That is, of course, if Sora here is up for another mission…" Mickey stated with a smile.

"Sure! I've got nothing to lose!" Sora answered, replying with his own grin.

"Good… Good, good… Now, this will also help you figure out about this bounty hunter of yours. I hear he is a very vicious fellow eh? A non-stopping shadow of death and all that and-… eh, I'm not helping, am I?" Merlin asked, trailing off with embarrassment.

Sora was white and his eyes were unblinking as he flinched and winced. His knees were trembling a bit, but he remained frozen with fear. Roxas touched his shoulder in comfort as Sora was given back his conscience. He smiled to reassure him that if he went down, Roxas would go down with him, no matter what, he would die fighting.

"N-no… I'm fine… Go on!" Sora answered, still flinching a bit.

"Yes, of course! It seems there are a few more worlds to the west of our universe of worlds. We have not noticed them since they were so far away, but they are definitely in sight now, because the lights have faded and our borders are vulnerable, but there is nothing really to fear now is there?" the old man chuckled, fiddling with his wand.

"Okay then! When do we leave?" Sora asked with glee and excitement, restless with temptation at the very phrase of 'new' worlds.

"As soon as possible! But it'll only be you and whomever you chose to go with because I must stay here, in touch with Yen Sid if he has more information. We came in here so darkness would stay out and not even be able to hear a whisper of what we're saying in case you were wondering uh… Roxas? Was it?" Mickey asked as he noticed that Roxas was looking around the vacant room with a puzzled gaze.

He turned his head in surprise because someone had spoken to him, "Oh yeah… Thanks…"

"Goofy and Donald won't be back in time to catch up with me, will they?" the brunette asked, hiding his sadness.

"No Sora… I'm afraid not…" the mouse answered with his own despair.

"Oh that's fine! Roxas can come along with me! Right Rox?" Sora asked with a wide grin.

"Huh! Yeah, sure!" the blonde answered, no longer tuning the three out.

He seriously had no idea what was happening, so he thought it probably would be best if he answered positively. He didn't even know that they were about to leave the castle on one of the brunette's adventures once more.

In the next few hours, Sora explained to Mickey about what happened at Yen Sid's Tower and why he all of a sudden had a friend trailing him around. The mouse immediately understood and eased up on the boy, much to his liking, though he still stood suspicious about the former member of organization 13.

It wasn't long before they found themselves packed and ready to go. Sora and Roxas made their way to the gummi ship with their items. Mickey and Merlin were behind them to bid them farewell. As they both started boarding the ship, they each turned to take one last glance at the Castle and their friends. They waved as they turned their heads back to the entrance.

"Sora! Wait!"

The two turned their heads to see a small Queen running towards them with a photo. She huffed as she passed it up to them, gaining her breath. Sora took it, looking over the picture. It was an animal, on four legs but cloaked in a leathery black hood. The animal's color was black and green, at least, that's all they could tell. It looked somewhat like a dog, a _big _dog. Under the hood they could see bright glowing golden eyes, somewhat like a heartless'.

"It's… It's a p-picture of the bounty hunter… But watch your back… He can morph, b-but that's his regular form." Minnie huffed, standing straighter.

"Okay, thanks Your Majesty! We'll need it." Sora thanked, hugging the mouse.

"Bye Sora! Good luck!" the three waved, smiling all the while.

"Bye guys!" Sora waved back, turning his head back to the already lifting ship.

It seemed Roxas was restless to get out of there. He was already piloting for the next courses. He had already entered the ship when Minnie had given the photo to the teen. Sora closed the door behind him with a questionable look but decided not to say anything. He placed his luggage next to the blonde's and took a seat next to him. It wasn't long as the two stayed in tense silence that they spotted the small group of worlds. There were 4 of them, huddled close together but still miles apart. The gummi ship slowed to a stop as they stared at the four worlds in stillness. One was not a world as they observed though, it was a black hole. Finally, Roxas said his first words since before they left.

"So… Which one?" he asked simply, quirking an eyebrow at the brunette.

Sora took a look at each one, excluding the black hole. There was one that looked uncivilized and empty of anything that was man made. And another looked to be an entirely water covered world except for a small island on top of it. Inside of the world, you could just barely see a temple beneath its salt-water surface. The final world had a huge hill and a mountain. The mountain had a golden-faced temple upon it and the hill had small cottages sprawled across it. Sora thought for a second before returning his gaze to the other world.

"I think that one, right there! See the shape under the water?" the keyblade master asked with a grin.

Roxas only smiled in return as they entered the world's atmosphere. But as they almost hit the island, something hit them in the left flank as they swerved to the right, near a round roofed building. Having no rescue for the dive, they each broke through the gummi ship's cockpit shield and jumped out as it crashed only milliseconds later. It seemed that a lot of activity was going on and the building was the main place to be, so Sora and Roxas entered it to see if there were some spare parts lying around.

"What the hell was that?" Roxas asked, looking up at the sky.

"I'm not sure, but the ship isn't going to fix itself so, let's look around…" Sora answered, looking where Roxas was looking as he walked towards the building.

They walked around for about a half hour until they came to a halt on the second level, looking down at all the other people. These people were getting ready to go somewhere… As their attentions were more so on the workers down below, the two didn't notice the man carrying a crate their way. Not knowing who was in front of him, he accidentally knocked them over the edge.

"We got the whole crew here, we just need the two boys and we'll be on our way." an old man explained to a younger man that was wearing glasses, "And oh look, here they are now." he added as if nothing interesting was happening and held his pipe.

When he said this, Roxas and Sora fell on the ground in front of the pair in pain as they landed. Roxas' face turned red as he crawled off of Sora's chest. They were positioned face-to-face and boy was _it_ awkward. Sora didn't seem to notice though, seeing that his eyes were closed in pain. As both stood up, dusting themselves off, they looked at the two in front of them.

"It's about time you boys got here, ready to go?" the white haired man asked, puffing his pipe.

"Excuse me? I don't think you have the right guys here. We just came to look fo-"

"Oh it's okay, you boys will do. I heard the real duo were playing hooky." he interrupted without a care, "Preston Whitmore and this here's Milo Thatch."

Sora shook Whitmore's hand as Roxas shook Milo's, then they switched, "Well I'm Sora, and this is Roxas. But the reason we're really here is because our ship just crashed outside this building and we-"

"Oh don't worry. While you're gone I'll fix it up, now hurry or the sub will leave without ya." Whitmore interrupted once again.

Before the boys could say anything more, the man pushed the three onto the ship and closed the door behind them. They didn't even know where they were going.

"Uh… Milo, was it? Where exactly… _are_ we going?" Roxas asked as they walked through the ship.

"Well, we're at Iceland now, right? Well, my grandfather has spent years trying to find the lost city of Atlantis in Ireland and finally found that it was actually in the leagues of Iceland. So, Mr. Whitmore has setup a mission to find this great lost empire and he needed me to be the linguist to decode this genuine shepherd's journal. So yeah, I'm basically saying that we're trying to find the Lost Empire of Atlantis." Milo answered, showing them the journal as he spoke.

"So… It went from bounty hunters, to searching through the leagues of Iceland for a lost city." Roxas sighed, "We're gonna be here a while…"

Roxas and Sora had their own room because there were only two beds. They brought their luggage in and sat down, each at their bed. But before either could say anything, a tall man came striding in. He was African American and had a towel around his neck. He seemed strong and young.

"Hey boys! Name's Sweet! Joshua Sweet! Ya'll new here? Where are ya'll from? I just decided to come by after saving Thatch from a 'mole', don't ask." he explained rather energetically.

It took the two a moment to figure out what he said, then Sora answered, "We came from a long ways away, and yeah, we're new here."

Both jumped in surprise as Sweet threw a thermometer into Roxas' mouth and listened to his heartbeat at the same time. He also shoved another thermometer into Sora's mouth as he still listened to the blonde's heart rate.

"Really? What activities are done there where ya'll live?" he asked, now checking Sora's heartbeat.

All that was heard were non-consonant replies of sort of a 'nothing important' feeling. Surprisingly, the doctor understood it all.

"Awesome! So ya'll have been fighting things around the world? Fun work by the sound of it. Uhp! Gotta go! I'll check ya'll up later." he said hurriedly, flipping the meters out of their mouths and into his bag as he swung out the door.

Both decided not to say anything despite the awkwardness of the whole situation. Sora trailed a hand through his spiky hair with a sigh. They _were_ going to be here a while. Roxas had the same feeling and fell backwards to plop on his bed and stare at the ceiling. It wasn't long until the door slid open once more and a face popped in.

It was a tall man with short, black, bowl-cut hair. He had a mustache and bored eyes.

"Eh, you two need to come and help me with some office supplies. You know, notebooks, glue, paperclips… big ones…" he announced, opening the door fully.

"Er… Okay…" Sora answered, the duo standing up and following the strange fellow, "I'm Sora."

"And I'm Roxas…" Roxas added, side-by-side with the cinnamon headed teenager.

The man paused and looked back with a blank face, "Vincenzo Santorini… Call me Vinny…"

"Yes Sir!" both replied, standing straight as if in boot camp.

Vinny raised an eyebrow before continuing his stride. Sora and Roxas followed in silence, looking at many things as they went. Finally, they made it to a room with many crates stacked in towers placed within it. It looked like every box was filled with dynamite, flares, grenades, either way, some kind of explosive.

"I thought you said, office supplies Vinny…" Roxas stated, looking at each box with wide eyes.

"It's called sarcasm Rocks, get used to it." he answered with a smirk.

"Oh…" the golden-headed boy answered, "And it's _Rox_as."

"Oh, sorry." he replied with a monotone, "Now, hold this!"

Suddenly, a box fell into Roxas' arms and it wasn't exactly light. In fact, this crate could hold two of him inside it and it was filled all the way to the top with dynamite making it unbearable to hold. And just as he was about to drop it, Sora grabbed the opposite corner with one hand as Vinny took another crate from the stack. After Roxas was prepared enough to hold the crate in solitude, Sora was handed the second crate, and hunched a bit in surprise at the sudden force since Vinny practically dropped it on him. The guy took the last crate and gestured them to follow him as he walked down the hall to an empty room full of unpacked supplies.

"Just take out everything from the box and toss it into that corner. Don't worry, nothing will explode at the moment unless you're stupid enough to set it on fire." Vinny stated with another smirk.

Sora and Roxas did what they were told obediently and without a word. Once everything was finished, an elderly woman's voice came over the intercom to announce that lunch was being served. They sat with the man who talked to them earlier today, Sweet, as he introduced them too everybody at the table except of course, Vinny.

"This guy is Gaetan, a.k.a, the Mole. He was the one I was talking about earlier with Milo. And this is Audrey, head of mechanics. She just about knows everything about everything in that boiler room over there. And this here's Jebidiah Farnsworth, also known as "Cookie" He likes nothing but junk food, and strangely enough, he's in charge of all the food. Finally, here's Packard, Wilhelmina Bertha Packard. She's the one who navigates the readings outside the sub. Well, this is the entire gang! Say… I never got to here ya'll two introduce yourselves." Sweet finished rather quickly, his voice never slowing a bit.

Everyone greeted with a single gesture, as they were each introduced. Sora ate his food slowly, trying exceptionally hard to be polite, as Roxas didn't even lay a finger on his.

"Well, I'm Roxas, and this is Sora, we just kind of crash landed on Iceland when we were on our journey." Roxas answered, pushing his tray away bit by bit, "Say, where's Milo?"

"He's over there by himself in the corner table reading that journal again, he never puts it down." Audrey answered, putting her fork in her mouth.

Sora and Roxas looked back at the man with a frown. It seemed that he was the outcast of the group and the two couldn't help but feel sympathetically about it. But they were right, he never put down that book and it looked as if he were some twerp or nerd trying to solve a crossword puzzle and failing miserably at it.

Hours passed as they helped on board and got the ship prepared. But as they were helping the crewmen in the boiler room, something hit the sub and everybody fell over. A loud creaking noise was heard, but couldn't have been possibly made by the submarine, this was louder, and more ominous.

"What the hell? What just hit us?" Sora yelled with frustration, dusting himself off as he stood up.

Before Roxas could answer, everyone was called to their stations, but ironically, Sora and Roxas _didn't _have stations and were forced to run around, helping everybody they could find. After an hour of firing at whatever it was that was attacking the crew, they were forced to abandon ship. Roxas and Sora, placed with Helga Sinclair, the Commander, Sweet, Audrey and Milo in one small minisub, they shot out of the broken submarine and through a crevice while Sora and Roxas and cursing under their breathes at why they would do such a thing. An electrical beam shot out at them and many other survivors and missed luckily. Finally, the beast was eventually unable to follow them anymore but it wasn't time to relax yet.

"It's only a grease-trap, it's just like a sink. It's only a grease-trap, it's just like a sink!" Milo yelled to himself, wincing as he clutch the journal to himself.

Roxas and Sora stared at him, a little freaked out and wide-eyed as they sat back with fright. Audrey and Sweet looked at the boy the same way unblinking. Helga and the Commander were too busy to notice while piloting the submarine. Finally, racing at the speed of light, they reached an underground surface. Only a few minis survived but it was better than just them. The whole gang was there when everyone stepped off onto the dry land and unpacked. After, they held a small ceremony for the ones who gave their lives to find the lost city, then got ready to start their long journey.

Many delays were held along the way, including Milo messing with a truck and flooring and braking it because he had no clue how to drive. They traveled through hills, towers, snow and mysterious caverns as they drove through the cave's unwelcoming walls. Sora and Roxas rode in Mole's big drill in silence as they traveled on.

At one time along the way, Milo started drinking from a canteen when Vinny walked up, "You didn't just drink that did you?"

Milo nodded; his face showing the fact that he had quenched his thirst.

"That's not good, that's nitro-glycerin!" Vinny pointed wide-eyed.

Milo jumped in fright as he held his neck in fear. Vinny had told the two that were watching to watch him and see how easy it was to fool someone. All they could do was chuckle at the scene.

"Okay, just don't move, don't breathe, just don't do anything really…" he instructed, backing away.

"BOOM!"

Milo nearly jumped out of his skin as Mole hopped up behind him, laughing his heart out with Vinny and the other two. Milo rubbed the back of his head in relief when he figured out what happened and mock-laughed with the four. The site was too funny to pass up.

And at another time, they came across a finely crafted tower as Milo described it with fascination. Vinny, however, had a different intention of the use of the column. Putting boxes of dynamite around the base of the pillar, he dragged the boy away from the explosion-waiting-to-happen and detonated the mine field. Milo looked at it with depression and shock as Vin stood up with a smirk.

"Hey look! I made a bridge! And it took me like, ten seconds." he said smiling with a shrug at the linguist.

Finally, they made it to a resting point at the beginning of a narrow bridge, there was a stone chandelier-like green light source on the far ceiling as they unpacked.

"Okay, that thing, is gonna keep me up, all night." the explosive coordinator stated, looking at the mysterious light source.

* * *

**_So... yeah, I kind of skipped half the movie already haven't I? Well, I'll be explaining alot during the finding of the city so... Anyway, rate and review!_**


	7. Ch6 TLOI Pt2 The Founding of a New City

_**Sorry it took so long, and this is a looonnnggg chapter, ten pages on Microsoft Word to be exact. But anyway, this has most of the movie within and is pretty much near this world's end. And I'm sorry ya'll, there isn't that much SoRox interaction in this one but I PROMISE there will be much in the chapters to come so don't get mad at me!... please?**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Milo: How'd I get here?**

**Sora: Hey Milo! How's it?**

**Milo:Uh... I'm now in a story?**

**Roxas:...get used to it...**

**Milo: She may have written it but she doesn't own me or you right?**

**Sora: Right!**

**Me: Yeah, that's what they all say... **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 5_

_**The Founding of a New City**_

_**(The Leagues Of Iceland Part 2**_

_**Tear My Heart Open)**_

_Entirely Sora's POV_

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
My weakness is that I care too much  
And my scars remind me that the past is real  
I tear my heart open just to feel_

"Why is it glowing?" Sora asked, looking up at the alien-like figure.

"It has natural forceful results." Mole explained, waving it off.

It wasn't long before Cookie called them for dinner. As everyone sat down to eat as it grew dark, Sora turned back to look at Milo, who was working hard at his desk. Meanwhile, Cookie came by with a cauldron filled with… _something_, and passed trays out to everyone as he scooped the stuff with a ladel and let it plop onto each of their plates.

"For an appetizer, Caesar-salad, escargo, and uroriental fragul!" described keenly, dropping it onto Audrey and Mole's plates.

As Audrey gave Mole her food, Cookie made his way to Milo.

"There you go Milo, put some meat on them bones." he chimed, filling Milo's tray.

"Thanks Cookie… that looks… greasier than usual…" the poor boy answered, pulling his face away from the substance, a disliking look to his expression.

"Like it? Well have some more…" he replied, dumping just about half the pot onto his plate, "You're so skinny, if you turn sideways and stick out your tongue, you's look like a zipper!"

Seeing Milo sitting at a higher position then they were, his vision flashed out to his island that had the curved paupu tree settled upon it. Kairi and him were sitting upon it looking at each other happily. But this was no flashback, it was the _present_ them and as they looked into each other's eyes, their faces started roaming closer to the other's, their eyelids drooping. The image then blurred and it was now Kairi and Riku closing the space between them. As their lips met, Sora let a single tear roam down his cheek. He was truly happy for them, but his envy for Riku was too much to bare. He was then interrupted by a hand waving over his vision.

_Drunk and I'm feeling down  
And I just wanna be alone  
I'm pissed cause you came around  
Why don't you just go home  
Cause you channel all your pain  
And I can't help you fix yourself  
You're making me insane_

"Dude… Sora? You okay? You're letting some water drip there…" Roxas asked, bending forward to look at him.

Sora let his head jump in surprise as he looked at the sandy blonde headed teen. He wiped the tear from his face immediately, grateful that no one else noticed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't know where it came from…" Sora answered with a fake smile.

As Cookie walked off, leaving Milo to flick the _food_ off of his hands, Sora stared at the poor guy with a frown. His sympathy could only waver now to see that he was left out and working hard to find this city. Roxas turned to talk to him and finally noticed why he was so quiet while they ate. He also looked at Milo and pitied him. Turning to Sweet after a moment or two, he whispered something in his ear and Joshua turned to look at the linguist. He only smiled.

"You know, we _have_ been pretty tough on the kid. What do ya say we cut him some slack?" he asked everyone, gulping his last bite as he wiped his face.

Sora turned in surprise at everyone. But Roxas gave him a heartwarming smile and Sora understood, returning it with the same warmth.

"Yeah, you're right…" Audrey agreed, looking at the 'Journalist'.

"Hey Milo, why don't you come sit with us?" the mechanic called, gesturing him to come over.

"R-really? You don't mind?" he asked, closing his book and getting up.

"Nah, park it here!" she answered, patting the stone next to her.

"Gee this is great, I mean, you know… It's an honor to be included in your-"

Suddenly a 'farting' sound rang out as he sat down and interrupted him in mid-sentence. Mole immediately fell backwards laughing his heart out as Sora and Roxas chuckled to themselves and the rest glared at the dirt expert.

"Mole!" the team shouted at him except Packard and the other two.

"Heh, forgive me… I could not resist!" he responded, still laughing.

"Hey Milo, don't you ever close that book?" Sora asked, looking at his food with wide eyes.

"Yeah, you must've read it a dozen times by now!" Roxas added, pushing his own food away.

"I know but this… doesn't make any sense…" he said, staring at it in bewilderment, "See in this passage here, the shepherd seems to be leading up to something. He calls it the "heart of Atlantis". It could be the power source the legends refer to… But then it ju-… It cuts off. It's almost like there's a missing page…"

"Kid, relax! We don't get paid overtime…" Vinny exclaimed, shaking his head.

"I know, I know… Sometimes I can only get carried away… But hey! That's what this is all about right? Discovery, teamwork, adventure…!? Unless… maybe you're all just in it for the money…"

"Money…" everyone answered, except for the brunette and blonde, who weren't getting paid at all.

"Hey we're not getting paid at all, so yeah, we're in it for the adventure." Sora answered for him and his companion, who took a bite of his food and found that it wasn't that bad.

"Ah, at least two of ya are with me…" Milo sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as Sweet passed behind him.

As Thatch grunted, Sweet turned and asked, "What? Something wrong with your neck?"

"Yeah, I must've hurt it when AACCKK! AWW!!!"

Sweet had just raised his neck in concentration and cracked it as he turned the guy's head both ways.

"Better?"

"…Yeah… Hey, where'd you learn to do that?"

As each one talked about themselves and made ready for camp, Roxas, Sora and Milo got to know more about their teammates. Milo asked about Mole's story as the little digger dug a deep whole to go to sleep in. Sweet, explaining that they didn't want to know, pointed out that Audrey told him when she shouldn't of had. Roxas thought he didn't want to know either but Sora was curious and agreed with Milo's question when he answered. As Sweet finished his explanation, he blew out the only lantern lighting their campsite.

_All I can say is  
I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
My weakness is that I care too much  
And our scars remind us that the past is real  
I tear my heart open just to feel_

Sora dreamt of Kairi as he slept, his thoughts never leaving her flawless face. That picture… it was a lie… It would never happen… not with them… He had risked his life for her, for _them_… He had looked and searched for them for two straight years of his life, but it doesn't seem that they've returned the favor. He had found her to gain nothing in return, so why had he done it?

* * *

Sora and Roxas, sharing a tent, woke up to the sound of someone yelling fire. As they crawled out, seeing the Commander yelling at Milo to go back to bed, they saw that there were fireflies everywhere. Milo then ran past with his warning full blown into the atmosphere and that's when Roxas noticed that the entire campsite next to them was on fire, with Helga yelling at everyone to put it out. But the Commander stopped them and ordered the crew to get out o there as fast as they could

Everything happened so fast. As they were crossing the bridge, it had broken from an explosion and they fell to the bottom of the cavern unconscious. Roxas, finally waking up, found him and Sora surrounded by heartless. Sora was still unconscious from the fall and Roxas had no choice but to fight alone. Summoning the two keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, he took a fighting stance as Shadows walked flat on the ground surrounding them. While he fought, he did not know that a shadow that had gotten close enough to Sora had started talking to the out cold teenager in whispers of untold lies, seeking his greatest fear: to lose Kairi.

_I tried to help you once  
Against my own advice  
I saw you going down  
But you never realized  
That you're drowning in the water  
So I offered you my hand  
Compassions in my nature  
Tonight is our last stand_

"She never liked you… You were naïve, ignorant… You left her on the islands alone, so she got tired of you… You don't deserve her, she's way too good for a insignificant bastard like you…" the shadow whispered into his mind as Sora winced, "She would be better off with Riku… or even Roxas for that matter… your own two best friends… would turn on you to get with her…"

"No…" he whispered as he lay cataleptic.

Roxas, striking every other shadow, saw this particular lying fag and struck him before he could say anything more. Then holding Sora in his arms, he shook him with fear.

"Sora! Wake up! Come on spiky-haired little know-it-all… You better get your freaking butt up! Come on, don't make me swear."

Suddenly, he heard footsteps behind him as Roxas carried Sora like the brunette had carried Riku.

"Hey wait! Who are you?!" someone yelled from behind, Roxas realizing that it was Milo, "Where're ya going!? Come back!"

Roxas turned to see 8 creatures with glowing blue eyes running straight at the two. The blonde readied himself for a battle as he called Oblivion into his freehand. But weirdly, they just leapt over the pair to the rock above. Milo soon came trailing after them and stopped for a breather.

"D-Did you see them?" he asked, huffing a bit, and without waiting for a reply, "Come on!"

Before Roxas could say anything, Milo followed the trail like an ape on the loose. He followed pursuit, Sora securely in his arms. After a few minutes of dragging the boy across the rocks, they made it to open air. The scenery was unbelievable as they made their way to Milo. The drill came only moment later, ramming through the small crevice. It wasn't long until the entire crew was behind the trio, awing at the sight before them. But then the sightseeing was over when the group of creatures dropped in behind them with spear. It was then that Roxas had finally noticed that they were actually people with humongous, blue, glowing masks.

Suddenly, a force stronger than before fell onto the boys shoulders. Sora had woken up and being as exhausted as he was, his body was letting gravity take all of him. Roxas, unprepared from the impact, had no choice but to have his hand stay in place. And because of that, his hand slipped up the back of the other teen's shirt, onto the skin, and between the should blades. Feeling the soft skin only made Roxas more embarrassed and frozen. Luckily, nobody else had noticed. All the while, the leader of the group, who had a woman's voice, and Milo were having a conversation in Atlantean. Sora opened his eyes, seeing what was happening for the first time. His eyes grew wide at both things: the horrifying natives, and the hand up his shirt. Roxas pulled it out and away immediately, red with embarrassment. Sora stood straight up, straightening his shirt and looking at his clone with a questioning expression. His face was a bit pink as well. The blonde rubbed his arm nervously, and looked away with an even redder face. He mouthed the word that his voice just couldn't support, "Accident…" Sora understood his lip-syncing perfectly, and turned back to the natives. The leader had taken off her mask to speak clearly. She had tanned skin, blue markings, blue eyes and white hair. They were now speaking in… French?

"Parlé voo Francé?" Milo asked with a grin.

"Wee Misseur!" the white haired beauty answered.

"They speak my language!" Mole chirped happily.

"Mag-don Mamoselle! El-voo-a-voo…" he mumbled to the woman innocently.

The woman obliged with a warm smile as Gaeton whispered into her ear. It wasn't long until she punched him straight in the face. Sweet immediately started clapping.

"Oh! I like her!" Sweet cheered with a big smile.

"About time _someone_ hit him. I'm just sorry it wasn't me!" Audrey exclaimed, pointed to herself, then she turned to Milo, "How do they know all these languages?"

"Their language must be based on a root dialect. It's just like the tower of babble!" Milo explained with a huge smile; as a hand came down onto his shoulder.

"Well, maybe English is in there somewhere…" the commander suggested, pushing the boy aside, "We are explorers from the surface world. We come in peace!"

"Welcome, to the city of Atlantis!" the leader announced happily.

"Hey, I'm Sora, and this is Roxas and the crew!" Sora greeted enthusiastically, thumbing his chest.

"I am Kidagakash…" the woman replied, bending low to their eyelevel with a warm grin.

Suddenly, as everyone was talking merrily on the small cliff, heartless fell out of the sky surrounding them. Sora immediately whipped out his keyblade as Roxas did his two.

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
My weakness is that I care too much  
And our scars remind us that the past is real  
I tear my heart open just to feel_

"Go on across the bridge, we can handle these guys!" Sora exclaimed, Roxas in stance next to him.

Kidagakash also joined them in fighting stance with a spear. Together, they awaited the heartless to strike. Letting them make the first move, Sora, Roxas and Kidagakash fought side-by-side until the last one was slain. She was a well-trained warrior. They then trailed behind the rest in conversation as they crossed the bridge behind the trucks.

"Hey uh… um… Hey, you got a nickname?" Roxas asked hopefully as they strode.

She giggled a bit before answering, "You may call me Kida."

Milo had fallen back to join them in excitement in finding the lost nation.

* * *

When the crew got there, the king did not greet them with much welcome. Instead, he held an argument with his daughter first which only Milo could understand since it was in Atlantean. But the king still let them stay one night to rest and be ready to travel by morning. As they left the throne room, Milo was appointed to talk to the princess who only Roxas and Sora knew the name of so far. As the team left Milo to sit there in thought, Roxas dragged Sora off to see the villages. They passed by a large boat with men aboard that seemed to be fishing, but these huge creatures weren't fish, they were lobsters of some sort. They were big, purple, and had no tail fin but tentacles. Roxas was thrown one as a gift but unfortunately, he did not know how to handle one. Without knowing that it wrapped around Sora's wrist as it snapped at him, Roxas barely noticed that Sora was now holding it and hit the back of the creatures head with his keyblade which killed it immediately. Roxas looked at his friend relieved and in disbelief.

"Hey, how'd you know how to do that?" Roxas asked, wiping the oceans wetness that the creature brought with it out of the water.

"Hey, I used to live on the island remember? Surrounded by ocean? I had some creatures swimming around that had to be killed like this." Sora answered with a smile as he got a sack to put the sea creature in.

"Ahh…" Roxas simply replied, catching the sack that had just been thrown to him.

"Hey, you wanna go see if they have a zoo or petting zoo or something?" Sora asked, balancing his steps on the top of a brick fence.

"A zoo? Er… Why?" Roxas asked, dragging the sack on the dirt.

"Because, if those are one of the many kinds of sea creatures here, what do you think the animals will be like?" Sora asked excitedly, dropping to his level.

Roxas honestly didn't want to know. He had one bad experience with them already, so he imagined him being strangled by a giant white cat that stood on its back legs and had a cartoonish plain face with its lower two teeth sticking out like a bulldog's.

Before he could protest, Sora dragged him along the city by the arm. It wasn't long until they came across something that was part tiger and part lizard. It was dark blue with yellow stripes and its underbelly was a lighter blue. It was as big as Roxas and Sora combined and it had five golden eyes across its face and had three large tusks and two smaller around its mouth and nose. Sora immediately started petting it but Roxas kept his distance. It wasn't long until the cat-lizard came up to him.

"He's awesome dude! Have you ever seen a cooler creature?" Sora asked, patting the thing's head.

Roxas looked at it in terror, thinking it was going to pounce on him any second now and claw at him endlessly. Looking at Sora with an unsure expression, he reached out his hand to pet it at a distance, but before he could touch it, the lizard licked his hand with a long pointed pink tongue, making the blond jump back in reflex and horror. Sora laughed as he kneeled to the creature's level. It was purring loudly as it played with the boy. Roxas finally decided to join them and let the sack drop.

After playing with it a little, it started following the two around, like some kind of lost pet begging for food. But the pair didn't mind, letting it eat the giant lobster as they explored. But as they walked, Kairi's voice popped into the poor brunette's head and he held it in pain.

_I'm drunk and I'm feeling down  
And I just wanna be alone  
You shouldn't ever come around  
Why don't you just go home?  
Cause you're drowning in the water  
And I tried to grab your hand  
And I left my heart open  
But you didn't understand  
But you didn't understand  
Go fix yourself_

'_You know you're the reason I went with Riku… It's your fault… You left me, so I had no choice, I couldn't wait for you anymore Sora…_'

'_No… I'm n-not the reason! L-leave me be! You chose that path and I'm just doing my duty! 'I' HAD NO OTHER DAMN CHOICE! Besides, ever heard of patience is a virtue? It doesn't look like it! Now leave me the hell alone! And you better think twice before you think I'm coming to save you next time you get in a situation, just call your prince charming and I bet HE'LL save you! Now go watch your own fucking back!'_

'… _I loved you Kairi… You just didn't want to believe it…'_

"Sora! You okay?" Roxas asked, holding the boy's shoulders.

Sora shook his head to wear the feeling off and looked at the blond, "Y-yeah… I'm fine… Just an unexpected stinging but it's gone now…"

"Are you sure? You don't look good…" Roxas stated, unconvinced.

"No really, I'm great!" Sora answered, waving it off as he patted their other companion that sat there restlessly.

Kairi's words replayed over and over in Sora's mind as the trio ate with the rest of the team, Sweet and Audrey fascinated with the animal the duo brought with them. Even though he told her off, well the her in his mind, he couldn't help but linger on her explanation as people watched his new 'pet'. Every 10 seconds, someone would throw the reptile a scrap or two and it gobbled it up viciously. Sora and Roxas shared a bowl, knowing that they wouldn't finish a whole bowl themselves. But Roxas practically lost his appetite when Sweet and Sora bit off the heads of a many eyed shell creature, eyes and all. After eating a large crustacean, he pretty much found himself full and luckily, before they did that.

But unexpectedly, the entire crew was called for a secret meeting with the commander right before nightfall, but Sora found it strangely suspicious. Being the last ones to enter the arena, right as Roxas was about to come into view of all the others, Sora grabbed his armed, slapped his free hand over his mouth and pulled him behind a pillar.

"Shhh…" he hushed, gently letting his hand slip from the golden-headed teen's mouth.

Roxas understood fully and immediately, turning to peek around the stone with his knees knelt as Sora did the same standing straight over him.

Guns were being passed around to the group along with other various weapons, most of the crew were in weird masked uniforms. Sora squinted to get a better looked as Roxas knelt a bit further so that the crew would be able to see just the tip of his hair.

"The plan is setup and ready to go… Now, any of you know where Thatch is?" the commander asked, loading his gun and cocking it.

"I heard he went off with that Atlantean girl somewhere…" Helga answered with a smirk, throwing her revolver up and catching it once more.

"Probably to the water where all the ancient runes are…" Vinny added, looking at a stick of Dynamite.

"A swim eh? Hey what do all of you think of us joining them, you know, just to converse a little?" the commander asked with a leer to all of the crew when all of them answered with either a laugh or a smirk.

Sora was so intently focused on the plan that he didn't notice Roxas slip from under him until it was his turn to have a hand come over his own mouth.

"Come on, we have to warn Milo and Kida, and I think I know where they are…" Roxas whispered, not waiting for a reply.

They both ran over to the lake near the runes and fireflies and looked down into the murky water.

"Okay… No way are we going to see in that…" Sora said with doubt in his voice as he pointed at the water.

_I can't help you fix yourself  
But at least I can say I tried  
I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life  
I can't help you fix yourself  
But at least I can say I tried  
I'm sorry but I gotta move on with my own life_

As if on cue, or just by luck, two heads popped through the surface, one of each gender. As Sora watched Kida break the surface of the water, it flashed into Kairi's face breaking the surface of the water and flickered back and forth until it was clearly Kida again. Sora rubbed his eyes with frustration as Roxas started to talk but was cut off.

"Hey guys! Be right back!" the male and female greeted and waved goodbye in unison, going back under.

Roxas' face deflated with his finger as he sighed with even more frustration then Sora's was. They then heard voices behind them, the voices of the ruthless crew emerging from the shadows as they ran to hide behind the bushes and pillars. The team settled in front of the lake patiently waiting for the duo's arrival. Milo was the first to pop up to catch his breath, hanging on to the ledge panting.

"You have a nice swim?" the commander asked with a 'warm smile'.

"H-hey guys… What's g-going on? What's… What's with all the guns?" Milo asked, looking confused, "… Guys?"

Everyone looked at him with a smirk and it was then that Milo knew that they were all against him. He ran his fist into the stone step in frustration and took a deep breath.

"I'm such an idiot! This is just another treasure hunt for you, you're after the crystal!" he yelled, lifting himself out of the water a bit.

The commander took out a piece of beige paper that he had had stored away in the back of his pants with the same smile, "Oh… You mean this?" he said, holding it up so the linguist could look at it.

"…The heart of Atlantis…" the boy answered without question.

"We have to do something!" Sora whispered eagerly, readying his hand to summon his keyblade.

"No, if we fight now, _we'll _be dead." Roxas answered, grabbing his other's arm.

Sora relaxed with a sigh as he let his hand fall back down. There was a betrayal going on right there in front of him and he couldn't do anything about it. This betrayal immediately linked back to his two friends' one. He suddenly remembered how Kairi used to look at him, with those adorable blue eyes that looked just like his only slightly darker. She was truly out of his reach now… This must be how Roxas felt about Naminé… Now they both were completely alone…

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
My weakness is that I care too much  
And our scars remind us that the past is real  
I tear my heart open just to feel_

Sora was snapped out of his thought as Roxas shook him wildly to keep him focused. They then looked at the scene that lay before them.

Kida was now held captive and both were out of the water. The commander took the beige piece of paper he had apparently gave to Helga back with a smirk.

"Rourke… Don't do this!" Milo begged desperately as Vinny cut off his path with his shotgun.

"Academics, you never want to get your hands dirty… You uh… think about it… If you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum you'd be left with an empty building! We're just providing an unnecessary service to the archeological community!" the commander explained, walking around in a slow pace.

"Not interested!" Milo answered without hesitation.

"I gotta admit, I'm disappointed." The commander responded, scratching his neck, "You're an idealist, just like your grandfather… Do yourself a favor Milo, don't be like him… For once… do the smart thing…"

Milo glared at him without words, establishing the fact that he _really_ wasn't interested. All Sora and Roxas could do was watch behind the bushes helplessly. They knew that if they went for help, the Atlantean power was nothing compared to their guns. At least for now…

The commander sighed with a hand rubbing his forehead, "I really hate it when negotiations go sour…" he stated with a snap with his fingers.

Kida was immediately thrown to the ground with a gun against her head. Sora and Roxas silently summoned their keyblades if the crew made any wronge move…

"Let's try this again…" he said, holding back up the torn page.

The crew was lead by Milo to the Royal temple where Kida's grandfather rested. Roxas and Sora followed stealthily and without notice, their keyblades ready at their sides. When the group rested for a second, Sora snuck up to the captive Kida behind a fern and told her they were going to fix this. She understood completely with hope still bared in her soul.

The team blew open a hole out of the side of the ancient temple with their guns locked and loaded. The duo didn't want to take the chance in exposing themselves by following since there was no place to hide inside of the temple. Plus, the crew were ripping and tearing it apart anyhow. They waited patiently outside, waiting for either a gunshot to fire or for anyone to let out a scream, but really, nothing bad was heard.

It had been 20 minutes since the team arrived, and Sora was getting restless.

"We shouldn't be sitting out here! We have to do something damn it!" he mumbled frantically.

"And what, get shot or be taken hostage the second we cross the line? I'm not taking any chances!" Roxas spat back.

"Well, two guardians of the worlds wouldn't sit here, and do nothing!" Sora answered in hesitation.

Before Roxas could dispute, something glowing was approaching the blown entryway. It was a blue girl, and it looked a lot like Kida. She was phantom-like and her hair was flowing endlessly. The entire crew followed behind her, some walking backwards and others walking forwards for all spaces to be watched. Sora, out of instinct, jumped onto a higher block to hide from prying eyes and encouraged Roxas to do the same. He followed right before a pair of eyes snapped to his corner (they were on opposite sides of the entrance). The duo followed them until they stopped at the beginning of the bridge. Roxas and Sora hid in the Atlantean crowd in a crouched position, their keyblades still at the ready. They weren't close enough to hear Milo's conversation with some of the crewmembers, but they could see the scene unfold clearly. It wasn't long until the commander came up; everyone jumped when he punched the poor guy, especially Sora and Roxas. They immediately ran out and helped him up after he picked up a picture from a broken picture frame of his grandfather. They stood with one of Milo's arms around Roxas' shoulder, and one around Sora's.

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
My weakness is that I care too much  
And our scars remind us that the past is real  
I tear my heart open just to feel_

"Sora, Roxas, just on time! I knew Sweet had a soft heart but you two? Come on… do the smart thing." He explained pointing to his head.

"We're not in it for the money, remember!?" Sora answered with a glare.

"Of course… little boys have to play the hero… Come on men, take her out of here…" the commander demanded without an extra thought.

But suddenly, Audrey kicked open her door and jumped out to look at the trio. She then strode over to Roxas' side and put an arm around his shoulder in the opposite way, only with much lighter force as Sora and Roxas were practically carrying dead weight. Then came Vinny, onto Sora side, a hand on the brunette's shoulder and the linguist's. Soon, Packard, Cookie and Mole joined in too, glares playing on their faces.

"Ah, you got to be joking!" Rourke stated, looking into his side-view mirrors.

"This is wronge and you know it!" Audrey yelled ruthlessly.

"We're this close to the biggest payday of our lives and you pick now of all times to grow unconscious!?" he yelled back in a 'I'm surrounded by idiots!' type way.

"Hey, we've done a lot of bad things in our time, robbing tombs and crypts, raiding storages, double parking, but hey, nobody got hurt. Okay… maybe somebody got hurt, but nobody we _knew_!" Vinny explained, fingering them off.

"You want that? Fine! More for me!" the ex-commander bellowed, getting back into one of the two trucks.

"Come on! We have to stop them!" Milo shouted as he found his way out of the groups grip and ran to the unstable bridge.

"NO! WAIT!" Vinny called after him, grabbing his arm and pulling him down.

As if on cue and as Rourke reached the other side, the bridge implanted with hidden dynamite explode without possible fixing. As the group looked up, Sora jumped up immediately, his strong feeling for justice taking over.

"Okay… Now you can go…" Vinny stated, no longer covering his head.

"Those rotten bastards!" the brunette cried instantly.

"Whoa tiger, there's no way we can follow them, except if you find some sudden way to fly, these people are doomed…" Roxas _slightly_ mocked, getting up as well as holding Sora back.

Sora had to admit, there was really nothing they could do at the moment. The group wasn't ready to fight Rourke, not just yet. They weren't strong enough. Suddenly, Merlin's voice popped into the hero's head, making him flinch slightly.

* * *

**_Yup. I know you just hated this chapter! Oh well, I had mashed potatoes a few minutes ago, I'll live..._**

**_Anyway, REVIEW! Even if you thought it sucked! I'm all ears!_**


	8. Ch7 Into the Double U's

_**Sorry for the late update guys... Anyway, try and guess what world they will be in in a moment after the first few paragraphs! And more Roxas and Sora interaction, as promised! hope you like this one! Hope ya'll haven't given up on me yet beacuse I sure as hell have not given up on ya'll! See ya later!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sora: Yeah, she still doesn't really own us or the knew people in her story. Walt does, but she doesn't. And I'm happy too, she told me if she were head of Disney studios, she would create complete and utter chaos throughout the system...**

**Roxas: Wow... That actually sounds kind of fun.**

**Me: Yeah, you should try it sometime... **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 7_

_**Into the Unknown and Unexpected**_

'_Sora? Is that you?_' the old wizard asked hurriedly.

'_Yes Merlin… It's me…'_ Sora answered with a "My god…" sigh.

'_Well, hurry up keyblade master! We need to see if these worlds are protected in a proper manner!'_ he pressed rudely, then shutting off their connection before Sora could retort.

"Sora…?" Roxas asked from behind with a concerned expression.

Sora turned his head and gave him a single certain expression. Roxas understood instantly and nodded. He turned to the others with a smile.

"Look, we have to go, but we'll be back, promise…" Roxas explained to the abandoned group.

"Wait, how are we going to the other worlds if we don't even have a freaken ship?" Sora asked in bewilderment.

Instantly answering his question, Sora and Roxas vanished in a flash of white light. They found themselves in a puff of pink smoke. As everything faded out, they found that they were in a purple painted wall room. It looked like some kind of lab because weird potions and colorful ingredients were placed on every ledge present. They turned in bewilderment, obviously confused.

"Oops…" came a low yet confused voice that toned stupidly.

The two turned to the source of it and finally noticed a tall and muscular, tan man with black shoulder-length hair. He was dressed in foreign clothing and looked at them stupidly.

"Ah! Hey! Where'd you two come from? Name's Kronk. …I haven't seen you two around the palace before… Eh… does Kuzco know you?" he asked walking up.

"…Kuzco?" Roxas questioned in return as Sora had a confused and stupid yet charming expression.

Roxas turned to Sora in a questionable look on his face that immediately faded away when he saw Sora's expression. Stupid yet adorable… The blond's questionable look turned into a nervous smile. He snapped out of it as Sora shrugged in return at his main question.

"Kuzco… You know… Kuzco, Emperor Kuzco… Skinny teenage royal musical Kuzco? I mean, come on! You can't live around here and not know that you have an emperor ruling over you… can you?" Kronk asked just as stupidly.

"Uh… We don't live here…" Sora answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh… You don't? Haha! Then where are you two from! Around the world? China! Umm… New Zealand! Ooh! It's Japan isn't it? You two came from Japan?! Come on, tell me I'm getting warmer!" the man shouted excitedly, hopping up and down as if a ten-year-old child receiving his final Christmas present.

"Okay… Um… that's a funny story… erm… Well…" Sora attempted to explained with a timid glance in Roxas' direction and hope.

"Hey! That hasn't been established yet! Japan had a disciplinary advant-MMMHMM" Roxas had been cut off as Sora ran up behind him and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"WHAT!… He means is that… we were made- I mean! Raised there! By umm… fake parents… Yeah… It was an awkward situation but we managed to get through it…" Sora tried to cover it up as Roxas wriggled out of his grasp and turned to Kronk with an innocent smile as he nodded.

"Ahh… Well that makes perfect sense then. Yeah… I'm sorry but when I mixed those two potions I must've uhh… accidentally brought you two here by mistake so… sorry about that… Hope you weren't doing anything important." the foreign man apologized lively yet nervously.

"No really… It's okay… But really… Where are we?" Sora asked taking a look around the partially empty room.

"I just told you! You are in the great palace of Emperor Kuzco! You know… Kuzco's palace… The palace especially designed for Kuzco, Kuzco's palace… We _are_ in that palace, aren't we?" Kronk asked finally with a paranoid glance at the walls.

"Don't you know?!" Roxas asked impatiently as he followed Sora down the corridor.

"Well, during this whole conversation, I got sort of confused since you said you didn't know where you were when it says 'Emperor Kuzco' everywhere in the palace…" he answered, calling after them as they left.

As the duo walked, light slowly left the hallway. Finally, it was pitch black and they had no idea where they were going. But all of a sudden Sora had stopped, making Roxas run into him hard.

"Hey! What the hell!? Why'd you-"

"Shh!" Sora hushed, looking around a lit corner.

A woman, scary-beyond-all-reason was walking down a few violet stairs, cursing under her breath. She didn't look happy. Turning the corner and passing them through the darkness, they could hear a few mumbled words coming from her before she turned the next corner where the hall leads.

"Selfish… Ungrateful… Spoiled… Mongrel… That little punk will get it…" she said to herself in low mumbles.

Making sure no one else was coming, the two ran out of the basement-like part of the palace in silence. The palace looked as if it were completely made of gold. Sora and Roxas stared in awe as they walked, taking in their surroundings in a crouched position. Finally, they came across a smug young man doing the moonwalk their way. He looked about eighteen, wearing signs of royalty. Turning around and opening his eyes to see where he was walking, he made a double take at the two with wide eyes.

"AAHH!!" he screamed in a high-pitched voice.

Sora and Roxas screamed in reaction, not as high-pitched and still in a crouch position with Roxas behind Sora. The man stood in a position as if he was a woman who had just spotted a mouse or cockroach and Sora was leant back into Roxas as the blond held onto his shoulders in fear. The guy then took a regular stance with a fearful expression.

"Love your duds but… who are you two?" he asked with an unsure face.

"Uh... Thanks, I'm Sora, and this is Roxas…" Sora answered, standing up straight.

"Okay… Sona, Ringo,-"

"It's 'Sora' and 'Roxas'!" the blond interrupted, standing up straight also.

"Yeah! Whatever! How did you two get in here?" the guy asked impatiently, still surprised.

"Well… This big guy named Kronk was messing with some potions and he accidentally poofed us here inside Emperor Kuzco's palace. So we just tried to get out of here." Sora answered.

The guy kept his expression and bug-eyes as he stared at them, "Yeah, Kuzco's palace. Meaning mine! ME palace! You! No touchy! Whoa, whoa, whoa… Kronk, big guy? Kind of stupid? Hmm… That's where he went…"

The two younger teens just stared and blinked a few times with their fish-eyes as they stared at him with a blank expression. Kuzco just scratched his chin in thought, taking no notice of them. They stood in silence for a few moments until Roxas came to his senses first.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… You're, Kuzco?!" Roxas asked, with a quirked eyebrow.

"Hey you, get it straight. 'Emperor' Kuzco! Get it memorized in that spiked blond noggin of yours!" Kuzco answered offensively, putting emphasis on 'emperor'.

"Oh god, he sounds just like Axel…" Roxas mumbled so only Sora could hear him as he turned and took a few steps away in stress.

Sora looked after him for a split second and then turned back to the young emperor, "Well, what he means is… That you seem to be a bit… young, to be emperor…"

"No worries, I can handle it! Here… why don't you two just check out the market place, and we'll talk later at dinner at my place, hmm?" the teenager suggested, wearing a smirk and slightly pushing them to the door.

"Okay! OKAY! We're going!" Roxas yelled defensively, walking on, on his own as Sora followed.

As they descended down the stairs, Roxas made sure they were out of earshot before he spoke once more.

"Wow… just like Axel…" Roxas said as he slowed to look up the stairs they had just walked down.

Sora looked up there where his twin looked and looked back at him. He put a hand on the blond's shoulder in a reassuring gesture. Roxas looked back at him with a cracked, sad smile. Axel was his best friend and to see him die while in Sora's body was hard for him. Kuzco's similarities to Axel only made Roxas miss him more. They then continued descending down the stairs until they came to the market place at the base of the palace.

"Wow, crowded much?" Sora asked as he looked at a crowd of fifty people that had just crossed their path. Until dinner they looked around the shops in amusement of their culture. They _really_ liked llamas.

* * *

The duo raced up the steps in a hurry, panting heavily as they went.

"I thought you said it was only five!" Sora asked as he ran beside his other up the never-ending stairs.

"Well I'm sorry their time-zone is an hour later then Twilight Town's! It's not my fault I didn't know I had to adjust my watch!" Roxas yelled back, looking at the brunette with a scowl.

"Well let's stop arguing so we can one! Actually breath while we run, and two! Argue about this stupid topic later!" Sora shouted with a deep breath, his pace not slowing a bit as Roxas ran beside him.

"Now there's something we can agree on for once!" Roxas ended the argument.

Their running was completely similar as well as their speed and ambition. It was definitely a race between them. A few minutes later, they were actually having fun with it, laughing as they went at their other's pain. Roxas tripped a few times on the way up which made Sora trip over himself from dying of laughter. Finally they reached the top where they completely collapsed, still laughing in deep breaths, coughing here and there.

"Yeah, we are _definitely_, the same person…" Sora said as they attempted to sit up.

Before Roxas could answer, Kronk had come running down the stairs with a fearful look on his face, carrying a sack over his shoulder, "Hey guys! Can't talk! See you later!"

Sora and Roxas stared after him in surprise as he ran. Standing up, their legs shaking, they tried to decide if they should even follow him after their immense workout. Sora soon decided to run after him and Roxas soon followed.

"Kronk! Wait up! What happened! Maybe we can help!" Sora called after the man as he ran.

Kronk turned his head to look back them, which was a fatal mistake. Not seeing where he was running, he stepped on a cat's tail, which had been taking a nap on the stairs. Its scream scaring the guy out of his wits, he let the sack fly out of his hands and down he stairs, him following it down. This made Sora sprint faster down the steps, Roxas following pursuit. When they finally got down, they found Kronk standing in fear with a paranoid look.

"Hey Kronk! You alright?" Sora called as he came to a stop beside the man, Roxas walking up behind them, taking a breath.

"Oh, I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me…" Kronk mumbled to himself with a fearful look.

"What?" the two younger teenagers asked in unison, tilting their heads up at him with confusion.

"Uh… Nothing! Nothing considering the Emperor, that's for sure… And, Oh look! That dress is the size of my left arm, it's perfect for Yzma!" Kronk said hastily with a crooked smiled as he walked over to a certain stand.

"… What?" Roxas asked once more as the followed him over.

"Never mind Kronk. Hey, have you seen Kuzco lately? We were supposed to meet him for dinner." Sora interrupted impatiently.

"Kuzco! Where! I haven't seen Kuzco! Nope, not once all day! Saying that he wasn't in a sack over my shoulder…" Kronk shouted as he made his way through the crowds.

"WHAT?!" the duo asked in shock, following him with a bit more ease.

"Oh great… That was, kind of stupid of me uh… You know, to say…" the man said a moment after they yelled, "But yeah… Kuzco was in that sack, orders from Yzma… But I kind of uh… accidentally lost him when I tumbled down the last 20 stairs of the palace…"

"You had orders to kidnap Kuzco?! Why!?" Sora asked, once more in disbelief.

"Well, it was because he fired Yzma so yeah… You can see how that turned out…" Kronk answered, keeping his paranoid look, "You won't… tell anyone about this right?"

"Look! Where is Kuzco now?!" Roxas asked impatiently, his body trembling in disbelief and annoyance and his hands flailed out as if he were expecting Kronk to give him something of importance that he was just too impatient to wait for.

"Uh… He kind of disappeared on the back of some peasant's cart. By the time I got to the market place, he was already gone…" Kronk explained, pausing every once in a while.

"Well… Do you have any idea where they went?!" Sora asked, just as shocked and impatient as his twin was.

"Uh… He left straight out of palace grounds that way…" he gestured, pointing in the distance the person disappeared, "I think he was heading to one of the many villages surrounding the palace. I heard Kuzco say his name before me and Yzma left the throne room. Pacha, I think it was. Just uh… ask around and someone here will be bound to know him."

"Kay thanks. And don't worry, we won't let a soul know!" Sora half-shouted as he started to run backwards, Roxas doing the same beside him with a crooked smile.

Finally, they turned with a wave goodbye and ran through the crowds, their skinny bodies squeezing through the crowds with ease. They lost each other once or twice while making their own paths through the crowds of people, but they found each other after the first few moments. Finally reaching the exit, they started asking some of the guards if they saw a man with a cart pass through by the name of Pacha and they pointed in the direction of a long narrow bridge. Thanking them as they started to run, Sora led the way down the steep hill. Reaching its entrance, the duo slowed to a stop.

"It doesn't look stable…" Sora observed, "Maybe we better take it one at a time…"

"Are you kidding, we have a poor, annoying, peasant to catch! …And I can't believe I just called him a poor and annoying… …Sorry…" Roxas added the last sentence in defense as Sora turned and glared at him.

"Fine, but we're taking it slow and carefully, come on…" the brunette answered hurriedly, taking a step onto the narrow bridge.

It shook a creaked for a moment, then stiffened. Sora gestured that it was safe for the time being and continued on cautiously. Roxas followed just as slowly and carefully, watching his every step. Suddenly, the blond stepped onto an old and rotten plank as they progressed into the middle of the long bridge between two cliffs. Unable to successfully support his weight, it snapped in half from the pressure, causing him to reactively grasp the thin rope and have his right foot slip through it. Everything happened so quickly, it took the two a moment to realize what happened before Sora cautiously turned around to help the poor boy.

"Okay, don't move! Just stay like that… I'm coming after you…" Sora yelled in comfort, taking a step at a time to get nearer to the boy, "And whatever you do, don't look down…"

But of course, just because Sora said that, Roxas just _had_ to look down. He saw a small waterfall and a river under him, but not only that, he also saw that the fall and the wood that had cracked against his leg had torn his pants leg and severely cut his thigh, making it bleed wildly. He felt the vibrations in the rope that told him that Sora was progressively making his way toward him, trying not to fall through himself. Seeing that the blond disobeyed his orders, Sora growled with annoyance.

"Dammit Roxas! I flippin told you not to look the fuck down!" the brunette yelled with impatience, looking to make sure that each plank he set foot on was sturdy enough to support his weight.

Roxas looked up, fear sparkling in his eyes and his body stiffened. He could feel the life draining from his leg from the severity of the slice as his other leg trembled to keep steady on a plank ahead. Finally, Sora had reached him, taking in the situation. He sighed heavily at the sight of the leg. A half of the plank that had snapped was wedged in deeply into the inner part of his thigh. Sora grasped one of the ropes for support so he could lean down to observe the damage.

After another sigh, he said, "Okay Rox, for me to get you out of here, I have to take the plank with you. And you have to push down hard with your other leg and arms, got it?"

"Yeah whatever, just help me out of here!" Roxas yelled back, even more impatient than before.

Sora then unattached the wood from the lower rope that was now one with Roxas' leg and slowly reached down the gap to grasp the blond's knee. This made the boy gasp in pain, sucking in air through his teeth soon after.

"Okay, whenever I say go, just push down with your remaining three limbs. 1… 2… Ready… GO!" Sora counted down, yelling the last word and then pulling the leg up and through the gap.

Roxas did as he was told, holding in the yell of agony that he really wanted to let loose. As soon as his clean leg was up and straight and the wounded one was completely out of the gap, Sora hugged his torso to give him support. He then tossed him up a bit and turned so that he was in the position that he once was in with Riku when the white-haired boy was wounded after the battle with Xemnas. Supporting most of the blond's weight on his left shoulder, he hurriedly walked the boy through and off the bridge onto solid land. Once there, he let him down slowly, so not to put more pressure on his leg than needed.

"Damn it, it hurts!" Roxas mumbled in frustration, leaning back on his elbows.

"That's what it looks like… Now shut up stupid, so I can concentrate and get this 5 inch piece of wood out of your leg. But bite down on something, it's obvious that it's going to sting." Sora explained, taking in the wound.

"Well then, be quick about it!" Roxas answered, taking off his wristband and biting down onto it as the brunette grasped the plank.

"Okay… On the count of 3… 1…"

"THREE!" Roxas interrupted with irritation.

Sora then pulled as hard he could, making Roxas yelp in misery. In a moment or two, he managed to snap the plank away, and out of his skin. Luckily, no splinters or pieces of mold were left in his skin to infect him. Sora hastily threw the wood aside and examined Roxas' leg closely. Noticing Sora's position, Roxas turned a deep crimson red. The plank had been wedged into his left leg, 2 inches below his crotch area! And with Sora leaning in to observe the cut, it made an awkward situation.

"Wow… It was in deep, and the bleeding is severe… Here, all we can do now is attempt to stop the bleeding." Sora explained, backing away so he was sitting straight on his knees.

Reaching into his red knap-sack on his pants leg, he took out a thick strip of white cloth and a metal pin. Telling Roxas to hold still, he started wrapping it around the blond's thigh, ignoring the boy's groans of torture. Finally finished, he quickly pinned it and straightened the rest of the leg covering. As Sora looked up at him with pride because he was proud of his work, he noticed that Roxas was a deep shade of pink. Sora then expressed bewilderment on his face.

"Okay… I thought when you lose most of your blood, you turn pale, not red. Rox, something up?" the brunette asked with concern as Roxas held the 'deer-in-headlights' look.

"N-nothing's up… I'm, I'm f-fine!" he answered nervously, attempting to get up.

"Okay… Fine, I'll bother you later about that… But no way are you walking with your leg like this… Come on, get on my back." Sora pressed without any further hesitation, turning to give Roxas the opportunity.

It took the boy a moment before climbing onto the other boy's shoulders, hugging Sora's waist with his legs. Sora then grasped the crease behind Roxas' knees and stood up. Surprisingly, Roxas didn't feel any surges of pain in the process… or he was just preoccupied with thinking about what just happened between them. Sora then walked down the path in silence, carrying Roxas with ease on his back. Even though they saw that the path ended, Roxas pointed out a pair of engraved lines in the ground before them, obviously belonging to a cart.

So they walked on in silence for the rest of the day, Roxas' head filled with perverted thoughts caused by that one moment. And then the boy suddenly thought, _was he starting to like his other self? Really… like, like?_

'_Sora… I think I'm falling in love with you…'_

_

* * *

**Enough interaction for you? Yeah, I thought so... and yeah, The Emperor's New Groove world! And some secrets come flooding out huh? Yeah, but I'm thinking that one or two worlds won't be visited. Sorry if you're dissapointed... Oh well, he eighth chapter, I'm getting ready to work on so don't give up on me just yet... Review even though you hated it! Just so I can hear what you have to say!**_


	9. Ch8 A Battle Within Myself

_**Chapter 8**_

_**A Battle Within Myself**_

_Entirely Roxas' POV_

_Why does it feel like night today?  
Something in here's not right today.  
Why am I so uptight today?  
Paranoia's all I got left_

Sora and Roxas had found a quiet place to rest for the night in the middle of the forest. Sora sat a few feet away from his companion in silence, attempting to start a fire to get warmer. Roxas sat sprawled on a rock, his lids half closed as he stared off into the stars, thinking intently. His mind was swarming with thoughts, feelings, and memories. He could not help the fact of what was happening to him, but he couldn't accept it either. The moment _on _the bridge already had him thinking, it was the event that _followed_ that gave him a migraine. But another thought collided with the pressure, he liked _Naminé!  
_

'_Hell, what is wronge with me?! I **cannot** be bi… I'm straight! It was only a little moment created out of my stupidity… I like… no, **love **__Naminé! It was just an awkward situation… A scam… Just created out of my perversity and imagination… Probably just lust… I am **not** gay! No… not… never… **Ever!**'_

"**I am _not_ gay!**" Roxas yelled out subconsciously.

Sora looked at him with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. He had finally got the fire going and was sitting next to his friend in silence just spacing out. Atleast in silence until Roxas' little outburst. The blond snapped his eyes open when he finally figured out what he so stupidly let slip out. He sat bolt upright and ground his teeth together. He then turned to his friend with an unsure expression, wincing all the while.

"Please tell me I didn't yell that out loud…" Roxas pleaded, wincing severely.

"I wish I could honestly…" Sora replied, returning the unsure expression.

The other boy turned away once more and flushed hard, "S-sorry…"

"Er… Roxas? Something up? Or were you sleeping? Really bringing up the question, how can you sleep when lying in that position over a boulder?" Sora asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Roxas rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, staring at the grass beneath his feet as Sora asked these uncomfortable queries, "N-no… I wasn't sleeping… Just really thinking too hard… Hey… We're spending th-the night here right? What's for dinner?!"

The brunette understanding completely that his friend didn't want to open up at the moment, he stood up and looked about him. He then turned to the flushed boy and gave him a crooked smile.

"Whatever we find…"

Roxas then got up and looked around, listening to the movements of the forest in silence as Sora did the same.

"Hey… You hear that? Running water! There must be a river nearby! I'll go get some water for our canteens and then I'll see if there's any fish or something." the not-so-much-a-nobody-anymore suggested optimistically.

His other smiled and gave him a semi salute before shooting off through the trees in the opposite direction of where Roxas was heading. They split up for at least half an hour as they searched and foraged. Roxas still had the recent events running painfully through his head. He convinced himself that it was probably just lust, but the feeling refused to go away.

_I don't know what stressed me first  
Or how the pressure was fed  
But I know just what it feels like  
To have a voice in the back of my head_

'_Just leave me be dammit!' _he thought hard, filling each of their canteens.

This, _thing,_ was eating him from the inside out. All of it was lust, the whole shenanigan! Lust just because he could never have Naminé. Roxas started to look at the borders of the forest for an exceptionally long stick to make into a spear for catching fish. Walking for a few minutes he found the perfect one he was looking for. He then sat down on a small boulder and took out a small pocketknife to begin sharpening. When finished, he kicked off his shoes and socks and rolled up his pants. Slowly getting into the water, he found that its soft course was freezing cold! Shivering slightly, he walked around patiently.

After an hour or so, he found a school of fish, salmon it looked like, and readied himself. For the next fifteen minutes, he fished silently. Finally, after catching about a dozen, he took a sturdy vine, cut it, and bound their tails together and wrapped the rest of the vine around his waist like a belt. He then sat down in exhaustion, letting his pants slide back down his leg. But little did he know that the smell of the raw fish attracted predators to stir in the forest behind him. Just when Roxas was about to drift asleep, a panther jumped out beside him and growled hungrily. Roxas slowly and carefully put on his shoes as the predator circled him and then got up, having his spear ready, obviously forgetting about the available use of a keyblade. Unexpectedly, two-dozen more jumped out and cornered him against the rock. Knowing very well that he was outnumbered, he did a back flip over the rock and into the forest, running for his life yet not knowing where he was going exactly.

"Sora!" Roxas yelled indignantly yet pleadingly.

Reaching a clearing that was unfortunately not his campsite, he stopped to catch his breath, bending over onto his knees. His wound stung painfully from the pressure he had been putting on it, but it was better than being ripped to shreds. But of course, the panthers quickly caught up and surrounded him so he couldn't escape again, circling him with piercing orange eyes. Finally, one attacked but he was ready for it. He hit it straight across the face with the unsharpened end of his stick as it was chucked out of the circle. Another attacked from behind but he quickly stabbed it deeply in the shoulder bone and pulled away. 2 down but about 23 more, Roxas fought for his life, killing one or two in the process. Both really on accident, he just wanted to stay alive. But regrettably, two attacked at once just when Roxas had a chance to escape. He knocked out one but the other pounced on him from behind. He was so exhausted and already wounded from the others that he couldn't struggle out of its claws.

Roxas' vision began to blur as the giant cat readied himself to take a chunk out of him with his teeth. But before he could do so, a figure jumped out and hit it with a keyblade. He was wielding two actually, the Ultimate Weapon and the Bond of Flame. Sora hit every cat that came close to him or his fallen companion angrily and swiftly.

"You lay one more claw on him and I swear I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!" he yelled furiously, gritting his teeth as he fought.

Before Roxas could observe anymore, he blacked-out completely, falling into darkness…

* * *

_It's like a face that I hold inside  
A face that awakes when I close my eyes  
A face watches every time I lie  
A face that laughs every time I fall  
(And watches everything)_

Roxas opened his eyes to someone kneeling over him. His vision was blurry so all he saw was a silhouette. He groaned in pain as he felt throbs surge through his body devastatingly. The someone who was bandaging him chuckled as he tightened the cloth he was wrapping around the blond's right arm.

"You're a real hand full you know?" Sora's voice questioned kindly, "Oh, and thanks for the salmon you got, I cooked and had one, they're delicious. Especially with the strawberries and grapes I found."

"I think grapes and strawberries are the things I need right now." Roxas groaned, attempting to sit up but was shoved back down.

"No, your staying right here, the food will come to you…" Sora stated firmly, getting up and walking to the fire.

Roxas was too tired to argue. Sora had already had the fish cooked and ready, using a long, flat, and wide leaf as a dinner plate to put the food on. The supper smelt more and more delicious as Sora advance on the blond, setting down the leaf next to him. Roxas ate the fish gratefully while Sora stole a couple of his grapes while sitting in front of the lying figure, his back turned to watch the fire in front of them. He poked it every now and then with, what Roxas noticed, was the spear he used for the fish and to defend himself. The flaxen mentally slapped himself, remembering how much of an idiot he was for not remembering that he could wield a freakin' keyblade!

They sat in silence for the next hour, looking at the fire and eating their food all the while, neither saying one word. Suddenly, a voice crept into Roxas' mind. He fought to make it seem like nothing was happening, to keep still, and seem peaceful.

'_Ha Ha Ha… You're **so** pathetic…'_

'_What the hell? Where'd you come from?!'_

'_It's called your conscious smart one… Really, this isn't exactly **your** conscious, now is it?'_

'_Excuse me?'_

'_Aww… Don't you recognize my voice, Rox? We **were** best friends… Or is your memory still wiped out?'_

'… _A-… Axel?'_

'_The one and only and in the flesh! Well… not exactly in… **my** flesh at least…'_

'_B-But… How!?'_

'_I… Have really no clue… Except probably the fact that we had the largest friend status in the Organization… It must've made a bond… Somehow… So now… I guess when I faded back into darkness, part of me was left behind to reside somewhere in Sora… And I guess that part chose you…'_

'_Awww… Axel, I'm touched…'_

'_Yeah whatever, shutup…'_

_So I know that when it's time to sink or swim  
That the face inside is hearing me  
Right underneath my skin_

* * *

As they traveled on, Roxas still had to be carried upon Sora's back, devious comments from Axel along the way. Roxas blushed harder and harder every two minutes, hearing Axel's comments inside his head, which he couldn't escape. Finally, Axel noticed something that he did not expect to see, knowing that he was only stating remarks for laughs.

'_Roxas? Are you… Blushing?! Uh… You know I was just playing you right?'_

'…_YES! …Yet … uh… some of the things you said were … er… a bit embarrassing! Geez!'_

'_Haha… Same old Roxas…'_

'_I'm not sure if I should take that as an insult or a complement…'_

'_Ha… Just take it as a complement for now blondy… I'm not even on fire yet to insult you…'_

"ROXAS!"

"WHAT?!?"

Roxas' eyes snapped open and his vision was blurry for another moment until it finally cleared… They were in a large village, huts everywhere! All around them, peasants were either working, shopping, or relaxing in their homes. Roxas then turned to see Sora peering at him from over his shoulder, which made him jump.

"What is wrong with you!? I've been calling your name for the last five minutes! The people have been staring at me as if I were psycho!" Sora said angrily, letting Roxas drop onto the ground.

Roxas whipped his head around at his surroundings, paranoid, "Have I said anything for the last hour!?"

"Not really, but you were mumbling…" Sora answered shrugging, "Come on, we have to find Kuzco! …Remember?"

As the brunette helped the blond off the ground to stand up, he continued dragging him through the village until they came up to two much older men, playing checkers… or something…

Sora stopped in front of them taking a breath, "Hey, have either of you two seen a guy with a llama cart with probably a sack and a few other things on it?!"

They thought for a second, then they looked at each other and smiled, "Yeah, he went down the road, I think he went into the forest though…"

The other continued the explanation, "And then he came running through the village looking for a llama I haven't seen before, he went into the forest near the river, just follow it and I'm sure you'll find them."

"Okay, thanks! Come on Sora!" Roxas thanked quickly, racing Sora through the brush.

But just as he was winning, he could've sworn that he saw a figure of Naminé in the crowds. He skidded to a stop and turned to look at where she had been. Sora stopped running a few feet in front of him and walked up to see what he was looking at. He then quirked an eyebrow and laid a hand on Roxas' shoulder, making the boy jump in surprise.

"Rox? You okay over there?"

He paused a moment before answering, "Y-yeah… Just thought I saw something… C-Come on, let's go… I-It's nothing…"

He shrugged the hand off and began to run once more. Sora followed pursuit, easily catching up to the teen with the troubled mind.

'_Whoa! That was weird wasn't it?'_

'_What are you talking about…?'_

'_I'm inside your head! I saw what you saw Rox! I'm not blind you know…'_

'_O-Oh… that… It's nothing Axel… Really…'_

Roxas felt a slight shiver go down his spine. He looked over his back in paranoance as he ran, letting his eyes narrow in thought. Something was haunting him… And he wasn't _exactly_ sure what…

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin_

* * *

They were running for a while now, Roxas still having a conversation with Axel. It was silent except for the movement of the forest, them causing most of it. Suddenly, Roxas felt a sudden jerk on his back collar, nearly choking him in surprise. He halted to see who grabbed it, it was Sora with a 'Sometimes I wonder… Is it worth it?' expression on his face.

As Roxas released himself from his grasp, he dusted himself off and looked at him inquiringly, "And we stopped… why?"

"SHHOOOSH!" Sora yelled/whispered, sticking a 'shut up' finger in his face as it raised his upper lip in a forceful manner.

As Sora snapped away, he wasn't looking at Roxas anymore, more so, through the ferns in front of them. Roxas followed his gaze. There through the bushes, was a large peasant, kneeling on the ground. He was looking at a llama, and it looked unconscious. He was slapping it across the face whispering, "Breathe!" The two raised their eyebrows with confusion, asking "WTF" in their minds, except… Axel was snickering… Then they saw him do the most horrible thing that peasant could've done! He opened its mouth and rubbed his hands on his shirt, looking paranoid. He then looked up with a pleading look and whined, "Why me…?" before he bent over and attempted to give it CPR.

Axel was just plain cracking up now, rolling on the grounds of Roxas' mind. Although Roxas and Sora instead, took a step back in disgust completely surprised and unaware that that would happen. The llama woke up right when they came mouth to mouth, looking at him with an "Oh No…" look. They both jumped back with a yelp.

"That's Kuzco…" whispered Sora, recognizing his scream.

* * *

"It's just over this bridge, and you're back inside this palace…" Pacha explained, taking a careful step onto the bridge.

"Great! Cause believe I or not, I think I need a bath…" Kuzco pointed out, looking down with uncertainty as he began to follow him across.

"Ah… We believe it…" the other three mumbled to themselves in unison.

"What was that?"

"Ah? Nothing…" Sora answered for all of them, looking at the beginning of the bridge that shook with every step that was placed on it.

He looked behind himself and so Roxas taking steps back in fear. Dread clouding his same sapphire eyes and panic dictating his entire body. He shook violently, remembering the incident that took place before when he walked upon the bridge, and he did not want to experience it once again. The pain in the wound of his leg was furiously burning, making him flinch. Sora then held a hand out in offering.

"Come on Rox… Nothing else is going to happen to you, not while I'm here…" Sora reassured, even though doubtless, Roxas still got hurt on the bridge when he was right in front of him…

Roxas shakily refused the offered and turned away. Axel didn't help whenever he started laying out inquiries…

'_Er… Rox? You okay? It's just a bridge…'_

'_Yeah, an old rickety bridge that almost killed me…'_

'_Ahh… I see… Hmm… I may not be the type to say this, but why not just trust Sora this time…? You need to cross that bridge one way or another from where I'm standing…'_

'_Oh… So now Axel has turned into the not sarcastic or evil punk huh? Who are you and what have you done with the poner I once knew?_'

'_He left whenever I spirited away! Now shutup and listen to what I'm saying now!'_

'_Well… It's just that…'_

A hand around Roxas' shoulder interrupted his thoughts. Sora stood up next to him while Pacha and Kuzco waited patiently at the beginning of the bridge. Sora slowly guided him to the bridge, staying sure not to be forceful or rushed. Roxas advanced slowly, taking his time with dread. Finally, in what seemed like forever, they reached the beginning… where Roxas stopped dead. Sora almost tripped, being used to moving for the moment. The boy was like a stone now, connected to the ground, and unmoving. Sora rubbed his shoulder gently, in a sign of trust. Finally, Roxas started onto it, slowly but surely. Sora followed, only a few inches behind him.

'_You're doing fine… Just breathe… Don't hyper ventilate on me now Rox…'_

'_SHUTUP!'_

'_No… You shutup!'_

'_Shut it!'_

'_You! Shut your mouth!'_

'_SHUSH GODDAMNIT!'_

'_YOU RUINED MY WEDDING!!'_

'_WHAT?!?'_

The sudden and random outburst caught Roxas off guard and made him stumble forward in surprise. The force on the bridge made the planks he compelled himself upon snapped and he fell through in a blink of an eye. But with Sora's lightning-fast reflexes, he grabbed his wrist in the middle of the fall. Roxas looked down to see the planks fall into the river a hundred feet below. In his mind, he growled at his inner personality.

'…_Er… Oops?'_

'_Yeah… **Oops**…'_

"Roxas! Hold on, I'm pulling you back through… Don't let go!" Sora yelled, trying with all his might to support the boy's weight.

Roxas was too frightened and ticked off to say anything as he looked up at Sora fearfully. Kuzco and Pacha were on the bridge a few yards away, watching fearfully. Neither trying to help them because Kuzco didn't feel like it and Pacha knew better because he knew if they came any closer, the bridge would fully snap because of so much weight resting in one place. Roxas held on for dear life, his memory of last time's incident making his thigh throb in agony. It almost felt like it was happening all over again, but only this time, it was for his life.

The two's death grip on each other's hands was slipping from sweat and exhaustion. Sora tried with all his might to pull Roxas back onto the bridge, but just could not grab the strength needed for such a task. Suddenly, Kairi's voice popped into the brunette's head, making him shudder. But this wasn't a memory voice, it was the real thing. He actually _heard_ it, from nowhere! He looked down to see Roxas still clinging on for dear life, but instead, he saw Kairi holding on. She had tears blossoming from the corners of her eyes at record time. They were shining in panic and terror as she dangled. But she wasn't screaming oddly, for this scene didn't occur because of what was happening, but because of what had _happened_.

_I know I've got a face in me  
Points out all my mistakes to me  
You've got a face on the inside too and  
Your paranoia's probably worse_

"Please Sora… Don't let me go… I still love you… It's just…It's so warm out here on the islands… but yet I feel so cold… Come back to us, and we can be together again…" she whispered in a tone that could make anyone crumple and have their hearts torn away.

_I love you too… More than you'd ever know…_

Oh how the teenager wanted to say these words… Oh how he wanted to go back to the islands and live there peacefully with his two best friends in the entire world… And love Kairi… He would give anything for it… Everything… except…

_Roxas…_

The only thing that has held him back from leaving… The only person whose made him feel entirely whole and nothing but happy… The only _someone_… Who would stick by his side through anything… _**everything…**_ And actually give a _damn_ about him at any given time… The only friend, that knows the full and honest _him…_

With these thoughts, Kairi's hand had slipped out and away… Down… down… _down…_ Toward the unwelcoming rushing waters. But he did not scream her name… But instead…

"_**ROXAS!!!"**_

He quickly ordered the other pair to continue on without them and that they'd catch up. He then dove through the gaping hole headfirst, and narrowed his body so he could catch up with his partner before the boy could hit the water. The teenager fell in front of the blond, facing him with a concerned, yet smart-ass smirk. Roxas, who oddly wasn't screaming and abandoned his panicked face, looked back with a quirked eyebrow. They looked as if they were casually standing a few inches in front of each other on the ground, only upside-down. Sora then crossed his arms and yelled with a laid-back conversational manner to his buddy.

"Sharp rocks at the bottom?!"

Roxas looked up (or down) at the water they were about to hit and smirked while looking back at him, "Most likely…!"

Sora returned the smirk with even greater enthusiasm, "Lovely day for a swim… Bring it on…"

Roxas smiled at this, understanding fully what Sora meant. Sora took a perfect and straight diving position while Roxas mimicked his movements at the exact same time. They looked like a perfect mirror image, or a famous painting of illusion if you stopped it right there. But unfortunately, the story, must move on…

They hit the water with full force as the impact laid undersized damage upon their bodies. Roxas came through the exterior like the infamous 'Aerial' surface breaker. He looked around for Sora immediately after he took a breath. Sora was a few feet away, smiling like a psycho. Roxas smiled back with about the same enthusiasm. But it wasn't a time for celebrating apparently because a few alligators noticed their entrance.

Sora then saw a flash of Kairi drowning a few yards away. It went away as soon as it came, making Sora rub his eyes in frustration and confusion.

'_QUIT IT!' _he thought angrily, looking around at the animals advancing on them.

_I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand  
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is  
I can't add up to what you can but_

Soon they found themselves being chased by about 50 starving gators that just would **not** leave them be! With Roxas leading the way and Sora running backwards, having his back, they jumped from alligator back, to stone, to alligator back to get away. They avoided using keyblades unless in emergency, so they just stuck to punches and kicks.

"Almost there!" Roxas informed, running at top speed across the river to the shore of hills next to it.

Sora turned around to have a quick look to believe Roxas wasn't lying.

_Wronge move…_

One of the giant lizards spun around and hit him in the back of the head, **hard**, with his thick leather tail. Sora was down and out. He fell into the water, K.O.d… Drowning as he was unconscious, he was completely helpless.

Roxas froze at the splash and narrowed his eyes as he barely turned his head to see that Sora wasn't following him anymore. The anger now boiling inside him, he growled and flinched as steam nearly floated from his red face. Taking out his keyblades menacingly, he spun around with a dark anger that consumed his mind. His irises became fully and totally pitch black as he looked inhuman.

And with his voiced dripping with venom, he snarled, "_Oh… today is the one day you have dreaded all your life… The unfortunate day that you officially **pissed. me. off.**_"

He then ran with his keyblades by his side, hitting everything that lived and crossed his path… They now most likely don't live anymore. Roxas skid to a stop where Sora had taken his fall, his blades now soaked with cold blood as they dripped slowly. Axel was pale white, frightened by the fact that, this wasn't the Roxas _he _knew... The boy let the two fall and disappear as he immediately dove into the water. Sora was floating peacefully and unmoving not far under the surface, his body drifting with the current. Roxas hugged his body to himself and lifted him up and through the water. He then swam to the shore and laid him out gently.

His pupils now returned to normal, Roxas bent low and laid his head on the boy's chest to try and capture a heartbeat.

Nothing…

Roxas snapped his body back in panic, "No…"

He then tapped the sides of the boy's cheeks, trying desperately to wake him up. Sora was pale white, and his skin was as cold as the snow that fell so unforgivably. Roxas then attempted CPR, thrusting his palms into the teen's chest with more force each time. He bit back tears and gritted his teeth every moment the boy didn't respond to his attempts at savior. After a couple of minutes of nay success, Roxas collapsed on top of the limp body, beating into his chest in hatred, guilt, and sorrow. Tears now pouring unstoppably down his frail cheeks onto Sora's soaked clothes as he made no effort to hold them back this time.

'_Damn you… You fucking idiot… No! You're not supposed to leave me… It's all my effing fault. My effing retarded self caused this… Because of me he's **dead**!'_

_Everybody has a face that they hold inside  
A face that awakes when I close my eyes  
A face watches every time they lie  
A face that laughs every time they fall  
(And watches everything)_

Axel, who was staying silent and a little frightened the entire time, bit his lip, '_Roxas… there's nothing more you can do… He's gone…'_

Flashes of Sora popped into the boy's head, along with his voice. The memories, the comfort… the promise…

"No! He's not gone! I can't believe it! I **won't**!" Roxas yelled, snapping his body back and gently picking up the limp one in front of him, "They're not taking my friend away from me, not this time…"

_So you know that when it's time to sink or swim  
That the face inside is watching you too  
Right inside your skin_

He hung loosely in the blond's grasp, dead weight being pulled back by gravity. Roxas' left arm around the boy's shoulders, he tried one last attempt.

'_Please don't go… Don't go where I can't follow…'_

He raised his palm to the teen's chest and thrusted it into the heart thrice. He then held the brunette's head up and breathed a few gusts of air into the key bearer's lungs. Sora immediately was filled with the life that had nearly gone and drifted into the darkness. He clenched his eyes shut as he coughed and spluttered water everywhere, sitting up a bit. He was immediately pulled into a bone-crushing hug, the blond crying fiercely upon his shoulder. Sora flushed at this, still unsure of what was exactly going on. He hugged him back, just as tightly, rubbing his back in comfort…

"Shhh… Shhh… It's alright… I'm here… Everything's okay now… Nothing will happen to you, I promised remember…?" Sora soothed the poor boy, noticing that he had just saved his life.

"You left me… I thought you had gone... This time I need you to promise that you won't abandon me… Ever…" Roxas pleaded, his voice cracked.

"Well, it seems I need your help to keep that promise… Make that your promise to me…" Sora smiled in his ear.

Roxas pulled away with a blank expression on his tearstained face, "I can't…"

Sora tilted his head at this in confusion, a certain questioning in his eyes. Roxas gave him a tender smile as his eyes glistened.

"Because it's my swear…"

* * *

Roxas and Sora laughed hysterically as they ran after Pacha and the llama emperor Kuzco. Kuzco looked annoyed while Pacha was smirking. They were running from Yzma, Kuzco's scary-beyond-all-reason enemy that's attempting to steal his throne. It didn't seem that they much cared about the fact that they were leaving tracks in large red squares behind as they ran.

"Okay, okay… It was funny, we all saw it… I dressed as a deformed woman and they bought it! It's over with now! No focusy on memory! Now, you focus on running to the palace and changing me back!" Kuzco yelled at them as the four ran for their lives.

"Yeah but still… what kind of guy gives up his dignity for that?!?" Roxas laughed as he ran.

"A guy whose apparently in love with his royalty…" Sora and Pacha answered in unison, looking at each other with a smirk.

That's when Roxas saw it again, Naminé's silhouette. They had just passed it, standing in the meadows. He snapped his head in her direction but saw nothing interesting. He narrowed his eyes with suspicion and continued on.

_It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back  
It's like a whirlwind inside of my head  
It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within  
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin_

'_Saw her again didn't you…?'_

Axel, who had been tearing from laughter because of the joke, finally spoke once more in concern.

'_Yeah… That was weird… Why these illusions…?'_

'_No idea, but we'll figure that out when there's less on our minds… Come on! Keep going!'_

Roxas then noticed that he was falling behind and caught up with them once more. They reached the bridge where it had snapped because of the pair's little dispute after Sora and Roxas had fallen to the river. Pacha immediately shot an arrow with a rope into the tree on the other side. Sora and Roxas went first, then the other two after. Kuzco then snapped the rope so Kronk and Yzma couldn't follow as easily. The two that were following them then miraculously got struck by lightning when attempting to fly over the cavern and fell where the four had fallen before. They then made it to the palace to find the former advisor's secret lab.

Before Roxas followed them inside, he stopped and looked at the darkening sky. Some thing just was not right… A sudden pain then shot up his arm, making it feel like his skin was burning and being melted clean off the bone. His vision turned blurry as he clenched his hand into a fist to try and numb the pain. It didn't work.

He was fortunately saved from the torture by Sora's voice, that broke the hex that was cast upon him.

"Roxas, you coming?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm coming…"

He then walked in, Axel speaking once more…

'_Something isn't right Rox… It all seems suspicious… It just doesn't feel right…'_

'_I know… And I'm going to find out why…'_

_The face inside is right beneath your skin _

The sun goes down  
I feel the light betray me


	10. Ch9 A Departing for Answers and Intros

_**Sorry ya'll, I didn't put an author's comment on my last chapter... 'sweat drop' Oops...?**_

_**Anyway, yeah... This one they make a new friend, and I hope you all know why... Because he never appears in the game! And it made me mad... Anyway yeah... If you don't like it and you rather it just the two of them, don't worry, there will still be a large amount of SoraRoxasness. So anyway... Here's the disclaimer...**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sora:We're gonna get old in this studio...**

**Roxas:No kidding...**

**Rikku:Whoa, whoa whoa... wait... If she doesn't own you... why are you still here if you don't want to be?**

**Me:Oh please, they're getting paid!**

**Roxas and Sora:You don't pay us!**

**Me:Shutup! I pay you in those cookies you love so damn much!**

**Sora:Ohh... Okay, I am perked up once more to disclaim!**

**Roxas:SORA! **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 9_

_**A Departing for Answers and Intros**_

After stopping Yzma in a chaotic attempt, the four had laid back the next day. They made sure she stayed someplace where she would behave, really with Kronk. She had turned into a small chinchilla Persian and the two boys just could not stop laughing about it. But they eventually stopped crying their eyes out when they were about to leave.

"So ya'll can take care of yourselves now right?" Sora inquired as Kuzco saw an old, literally **old**, friend off that he claims to have had _accidentally _thrown out the palace window.

"Yeah… Pacha and I-"

"Ahem…"

"Well, mostly I, have learned a lifelong lesson… We'll see ya'll later, we can survive on our own guys…" Kuzco suggested, patting Sora on the back.

"Okay, if ya'll are sure… No being naughty when we leave, alright you two?" Roxas smirked, making Axel crack up in the back of his mind.

The two South Americans glared daggers at the boy. Sora was stifling a chuckle with a hand over his mouth. Roxas' smirk grew gentler and bigger at the same time (if that's possible) as he stared at the two.

"No funny from where I standy! Now get ya'll butts out of here before I have you thrown out of the window next!" Kuzco threatened, a little moodily and seriously, "Kronk!"

The big guy showed up on the spot, saluting to the young emperor, "Kronk reporting for duty Emperor Kuzco!"

"Use Yzma's Lab to get these two back to where they were!" Kuzco ordered, walking to Pacha to show him into the next room and have a small conversation.

"Sir, Yes Sir! I still have some of the same potion left over from last time…" Kronk yelled, leading the way down.

LINE

Atlantis had already been save by Milo and the two poofed up right as the group was readying to leave. Sora and Roxas talked to them just in time, said their goodbyes to Milo and Kida, and went with the crew to the top. When they came to the surface and back to the base, Sora and Roxas found that their Gummi Ship was fully repaired (miraculously) and ready for take off. They thanked Mr. Whitmore hurriedly and left, waving to everyone they knew. As they flew silently through space, neither Sora nor Roxas said a word. Both too tense to have any courage to break the quietness. It was then that Sora jerked the wheel to the right and off course, towards the Radiant Garden. Roxas was so used to the stillness that he flew off his seat from the force and was sent slamming into the Gummi wall! He dusted himself off and got up, glaring at the other boy who had an intent scowl on his face.

"What the hell is wronge with you! Could you at least warn me before you do some crazy stunt like that!?" Roxas yelled, matching Sora's scowl.

Roxas' wounds were fortunately healed and he had taken off the bandages. Though the deep cut in his leg created a permanent scar that he would never forget. Sora's frown slowly turned into a smirk at how he was torturing his friend, but he refused to look at him when he answered, "I'm going to see Merlin! I have a few questions that need answering and we're not leaving until all my problems that can be solved are resolved."

"Ohh… Well, we're in for the time of our lives aren't we…?" Roxas answered sarcastically, getting back in his seat.

They landed shortly after the dispute and Sora dragged the poor boy off the plane and toward the wizard's house. He kicked open the door without hesitation to find Cid and Merlin jump in fear. Letting go of Roxas' wrist, he strut up to the old bearded man and got right up in his face with a glower.

"Oh… I can't go back to Destiny Islands because I will endanger everyone there but it's right fine if I go to other worlds, strutting about! What the hell is wronge with you people!??" Sora yelled into the poor man's face.

"W-Well I never!" the old wizard yelled back, getting ticked off himself, "You expect I had no idea about it?!"

"Well, it seems like it!" Sora yelled back, pulling his face away.

"Sora! You calm down now or so help me I'll turn you into a codfish!" Merlin threatened, taking out his wand from his baggy sleeves.

Sora's frown grew deeper before he closed his eyes and sighed deeply, "…Alright… I'm calm…"

"Right… Well, to answer your question… your aura appearing and soaking up light in the Hall of the Corner Stone where we shared our last meeting, now has protection from various dangers in the worlds that the bounty hunter cannot touch, but it is limited… So that is why you cannot permanently return to the Islands for now… Okay Sora?" Merlin explained, calming himself down as well.

"Oh… Okay… S-sorry…" Sora answered slowly, eyes downcast.

For some reason, Roxas felt a breeze of relief sweep over him, Axel quirking an eyebrow at the two in front of the blond. Suddenly, a knock at the door followed by a long "Hello? Is anybody home?" greeting. Roxas saluted the three with his pointer finger, assuring them that he had it, and turned to get the door. Opening it, he saw almost like a younger version of Sora's companion, Goofy. Only this kid didn't have a bump on his head or a clumsy look to him. He had some luggage and a small card that he was reading off of as Roxas opened the door.

"Umm… Is this Merlin's House? It says here that I need to meet Sora…" he said, still looking at the card.

He was really their age, bearing a little messed up head of hair. He wore a short sleeved, red jacket with blue, baggy jeans and black skater shoes. He had buckles here and there on his zip up jacket for designs and had a black patch of leather going down each of his pants legs on the outside. He also wore white gloves with a red buckle surrounding the wrist.

Roxas took his image in for a moment before calling Sora over, "Yeah, this be Merlin's house. And awkwardly you came at exactly the right time… SORA! Someone here for ya!"

Sora showed himself to the door to see the miniature Goof looking at him. He then put on a confused look and quirked an eyebrow. Then finally turning wide eyed, he gaped at the teenager in front of him, making the new guy incredibly uncomfortable.

"**Goofy's not a VIRGIN!??!**" Sora yelled with surprise.

The boy blushed fiercely at this, having an expression on his face that obviously read that he really wished Sora hadn't had said that. Roxas had fallen over at this, coughing and flinching at the same time. He then got up with Axel laughing hysterically in his mind and elbowed the stupid brunette hard in the stomach, making him jump.

"It seems that he isn't…" the boy answered, looking anywhere but at the duo, blushing deep red.

"O-Oh… Sorry… I was j-just a bit sur-surprised there… Come on in! And by the way, this is Roxas, my best friend…" Sora introduced, leading the boy in.

"I'm Max, Goofy's son as you've obviously noticed… He sent me over here to take his place on your mission. He said we might like to meet each other since we're the same age…" he explained, sitting down.

"Great! It'll be fun to have you around!" Sora answered cheerfully, taking a seat beside him.

"Yeah… It gets a little boring only having a duo around here, we desperately need to be a trio." Roxas added, sitting beside the keyblade wielder.

Max stuck a hand inside his pocket and took out a small colorless photo. It was taken of his father, Goofy, and a girl. She had long bushy hair and a short snout. She was really beautiful and was hanging on to Goofy's arm with a smile. Max smiled tenderly in silence, letting the two see the picture and observe its details.

"Whose she?" Sora asked politely, pointing to her.

"GiR-gIrLfReInD-d!!…" Roxas yelled/whispered through an unconvincing cough.

Sora shot a glare at him for a few seconds, but Max didn't seem to notice what Roxas had said and sighed.

"She was my girlfriend back home… Her name was Roxanne… I took a picture of the two of them together about a year ago because that was when I introduced her to my dad." The teen explained gently.

The three were silent for a moment before Axel pointed out something to Roxas. Roxas immediately agreed and decided to ask the boy about it, quickly thanking the redhead for the observation.

"What do you mean… '_was'_?" Roxas asked with confusion, quirking an eyebrow.

Sora swiftly elbowed him hard in the stomach with a scowl as Max sighed deeply, closing his eyes. Roxas widened his eyes in guilt, realizing what damage his words put on their newcomer. But nonetheless, Max turned to them with a small, sad smile.

"She died… About half a year ago… In a car accident…" Max answered, becoming suspiciously interested with his shoes all of a sudden.

"I-I'm… Sorry… I-I didn't know until well… Honestly, until S-Sora nudged me after I asked…" Roxas apologized with his eyes downcast.

"Aww… It's okay Roxas, life goes on, and I've managed to get over it." Max forgave, nudging him cheerfully in the shoulder around Sora's back.

The three laughed together cheerfully at this and had quite a time. They caught up on things and asked about recent events. Soon they ended up playing a few games now and then and then it eventually ended up in a game of wrestling. Once the trio was out of breath, they all fell on top of each other crying their eyes out because they were laughing so hard. Finally, they all sat on the couch once more to rest, Sora in the middle once again. He placed an arm around both of them with a bright smile as he laid himself back onto the cushions. They all sighed in unison.

"So… Max, you know how to fight or spar or something?" Sora asked with a chuckle, letting his curiosity get the best of him.

"Well, yeah, what do you think? Goofy wouldn't have sent me here just to be dragged along by you two helpless and needy!" Max answered with a laugh in return.

"Really? What do you use to fight with?" Roxas asked, leaning forward to get a good look at him.

Max then looked around the room in thought and sat forward as well, leaving Sora to put his vacant hands to the back of his head. Max reached for his backpack and dragged it to lay between his knees. Opening it, he took out something the two would've guessed last to be in there.

"Well actually, I use my skateboard. I've based my attacks on how my dad uses his shield to fight. I'm also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. I can block nearly any hit you can throw at me. They say I have great reflexes." Max answered with a cheerful smile, letting his skateboard rest in his lap.

"Wow… Now that's something I wouldn't have had expected…" Roxas replied honestly, raising his eyebrows.

"Would you rather me empty handed and helpless?" the boy asked, mirroring the blond's expression.

"No! No! I meant, the skateboard… I didn't expect that…" Roxas answered quickly, putting up his hands defensively.

Max then got up, wiping his gloved hands on his jeans. Stretching, he put his skateboard back in his bag and picked the pack up. Looking around the room and then at the two, he gave them a soft smile.

"Well, I'll see ya'll later…" he called over his shoulder, heading for the door.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa… What?!" Sora and Roxas yelled in surprise, getting up and following him.

"Oh sorry… Um, I really just came here to meet you two and get to know you. You're gonna be my two new companions after all. I only had a while here. I have to go on a three-day trip for a mission the king himself gave me. I'll come back here as soon as possible when I get done, so try not to do anything exciting while I'm gone, okay?" Max explained, giving both of them a heart-felt smile that told them everything he just said was true.

"Oh… Okay… That's cool… And don't worry, we won't do anything… much…" Sora smirked, holding the door open as Max stepped through and out.

They all laughed one last time before Max had turned the corner and was out of sight. Sora and Roxas stared after where he had disappeared, smiling manically. Suddenly and without warning, Sora grabbed Roxas' wrist and dragged him through Radiant Garden. Roxas didn't even have time to protest as he let the door slam behind him. It wasn't even like Sora was walking anymore! More like… floating… He moved so swiftly, Roxas could barely keep his feet under him.

"Where are we going and why!?" the blond called after him.

"A place where it's quiet and has a good view!" Sora answered back without looking at him.

This made Roxas blush and he didn't even know why. Luckily, Sora didn't look back to notice and neither did Axel. He also was speechless with the sudden outburst. Finally, the brunette skid to a stop. They were on an eroded balcony, with a perfect view over Hollow Bastion's old castle. It was empty and hollow below them but beautiful all the same. It was quiet as the gentle breeze flowed over their exhausted bodies. Their muscles grew tense and then immediately relaxed soon after, the two smiling with relief. Sora jumped and sat on the stone barrier that prevented other people from falling off. Roxas leant onto it beside him with his arms folded. They observed the day for quite a while until the skies got quieter and the sun started to set. Suddenly, Sora noticed something run in one of the upper halls of the abandoned castle. Roxas noticed it as well, shivering from the slightest motion.

_Impossible…_

LINE

Of course, being the heroes they are, they decided to investigate. It was getting dark, and the castle seemed to had lost its beauty fairly quickly. Especially since they were inside its ruins instead of outside. They heard the motions of processing erosion as they searched, making the two jump a couple times and grab each other's hands. Getting embarrassed when they noticed the contact, they jumped back from each other with muttered apologies. Finally they reached the upper halls where they saw their suspicions and the stars already twinkled brightly in the skies.

"So… you saw it too?" Roxas asked, following him through the halls.

"With both eyes…" Sora answered with confidence crouching into a paranoid position.

_That's when they saw it…_

A silhouette of a young teenage girl ran behind them across a doorway, a giggle gracing her lips. The two spun around in unison, eyes wide and searching. Suddenly, a different form of a girl ran passed to their right, the exact opposite direction the other girl had left. She also shared a small chuckle.

_They knew those voices…_

Daring not to speak the names they suspected, they searched for the two troublemakers that scared the mess out of em. The two girls running every which way every two seconds, sharing quick giggles and laughter. Sora was clinging on to Roxas' arm behind him, his nails digging into his sleeve, both tense. Roxas was shaking violently, spinning around to face any sign of movement. Sora was also shaken, but not as paranoid. The red-haired one ran passed Sora's gaze to the left. The golden-haired one mimicked her movements to Roxas' right. The two frightened boys were back to back, using their eyes to follow the two girls. Then suddenly, they stopped. Everything went quiet, no giggles or footsteps… No signs of movement… The girls had vanished. Until…

"_Sparkling angel, I believe… You were my savior, in my time of need…_" the two girls' voices morphed together with a phantom like echo sang gently through and into a pitch black hall.

Sora looked at Roxas behind him uncertainly and then walked cautiously to the torn curtain that covered the entrance. Entering it, they saw and felt nothing about them, just hearing the soft haunting tune that now guided their every move.

"_Blinded by faith… I couldn't hear… All the whispers… The warnings so clear…_" they sang softly once more, their voices drifting a ways away.

The two kept walking, almost in a trance, yet they were both pale. Neither said anything to break the soft melody.

"_I see the angels… I lead them to your door, there's no escape now… No mercy no more… No remorse cause I still remember…_" they trailed off, their voices taking a menacing tone now.

Sora and Roxas froze right then, seeing the two culprits clearly and unmoving, their eyes downcast. Even though there were shadows cast upon their faces, their was no mistaking, that these two girls were Kairi, and Naminé. Their eyes were closed as they sang the harmony of the song.

Then, slowly lifting their heads and leisurely opening their eyes to stare at them with a hollow sight, they moved in such a way, they seemed haunted and dead, finally singing, "_The smile when you tore me apart!_"

The two girls stared at their hook-ups-by-fate and slowly walked toward their boy, their walk just as haunted and limp as their movement. Sora and Roxas standing side-by-side in fear, clutched each other's shoulders in tension. Now they definitely knew that they weren't dreaming and something was definitely haunting them.

"_You took my heart! Deceived me right from the start… You showed me dreams… I wished they had turned into real… You broke a promise, and made me realize… It was all just a lie…_" the both chanted in anger, their hands clutched into fists.

The boys were now backing up as the two girls crooned and walked toward them with anger. Now forced out of the hall, they were on the edge of the floor, about to fall fifty stories below into a twenty-foot deep cavern. They were on them now, touching their chests in sorrow and looking up into their eyes. Their touch burned greatly, and their eyes bored into them with their hollow stare. The two boys looked back down on them with guilt and fear, leaning back over the cliff with their hands raised.

"_Sparkling angel, I couldn't see… your dark intentions, your feelings for me._" their faces now inches away for their lips to brush as they sang, the two gave in, taking their girl into their arms.

Their foreheads pressed together, Sora tenderly smiled down onto Kairi as she sang with a frown, "_Fallen angel… Tell me why… What is the reason… The thorn in your eye…_"

Then he looked over at Roxas who he had almost forgotten completely about, and saw him sharing a tender kiss with his woman… Sora _suspiciously_ felt a wave of jealousy flow over him as he scowled at the two. Shoving Kairi away, he turned and looked at the ground a quarter of a mile below them with narrowed eyes. She took this by surprise, her fist planted on her chest in shock. He couldn't bear to look at her face like this. He didn't even bother to look at the other two as he stared with pain filled eyes. It was all an illusion, he knew this… And soon, Roxas would get the picture because he had just pulled away with an uncertain expression. Seeing that Sora and Kairi were apart, his eyes widened as he snapped his hands away as if he had just touched a hot surface. He didn't shove her off though, but stood and looked away, toward where Sora was staring.

"_I see the angels… I lead them to your door… There's no escape now… No mercy no more… No remorse cause I still remember…_" they both continued singing as their scowls returned, tears flowing down their cheeks as Kairi assumed her position right in front of Sora.

Both boys could not stand to look at the girls, to hurt at what they were doing. Though they did glance at each other with sorrowful eyes. Roxas then voiced the few words that Sora needed to hear.

'_I'm sorry…'_

He smiled gently at this and continued looking down, wondering what to do next. He then looked at is other again with a smile, and then turned to Kairi with a slight smirk. Roxas did the same, though avoiding looking into Naminé's eyes. They then grasped each other's hands, attempting to send a certain message to their loved ones and looked at the two girls. Their scowls turned into gentle sad smile as they blinked with their tear-stained faces. They then took a step forward and placed their hands on the boys' shoulders.

"_The smile when you tore me apart…_" they finished in whispers, immediately pushing them off the cliff.

Still having their hands held, they were diving head first toward the solid earth beneath them. Now this was stupid… Doing a front flip in the air, they made it so that their legs were under them again… No way were they going to survive this! The two made it so that instead of hitting the ground while holding hands, they put them around each other's neck, side-by-side.

"Well… See you in the next life Sora…" Roxas said quietly, tearing from the fall.

"Likewise Rox…" the brunette answered, also tearing from the pressure.

Closing their eyes for the soon to be impact, they felt three tiny sets of hands grab their shoulders, saving them from the impact that never came. Sora opened his eyes to see Rikku holding his right shoulder, Yuna holding Roxas' left shoulder, and Paine, in the middle holding both of them. They soon floated to the ground softly, Roxas raising his eyebrows in confusion, not know what the hell just went on. Sora smiled his genuine smile to the three girls.

'_Oh… that gorgeous smile…'_ Roxas thought dreamily.

'…_what?' _he heard Axel say soon after.

'_Nothing! Shoosh! I'm trying to listen!'_ Roxas yelled quickly.

"Thanks Yuna, Rikku, Paine… Honestly, we can't thank you enough for saving our butts… But why are ya'll here?" Sora asked in confusion, scratching the back of his spiked head.

"Sora… We need your help…" the three said pleadingly.

* * *

**_So... Max has joined them! Exciting huh? WOOHOO! Anyway yeah... The song the two were singing was by 'Within Temptation' and it was 'Angels' if you were wondering. So yeah... frightening wasn't it? And very random BTW... Anyway, yeah... the troublesome trio have asked for their help right after!_**

**_HA! Another CLIFFHANGER!_**


	11. Ch10 Spirited Away With a Fallen Love

_**Yup, here's chapter ten! And you all might find a bit of a surprise in this one! And if there is any questions, I'm sure they will be answered in the rest of the story! And yes, this chapter is longer than normal (10 pages on Word) so just sit back and go with the flow!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sora:HaHA! So you DO THINK I'M HAWT!**

**Roxas:HEY! GAY PRIDE MAN!**

**Sora:So he ADMITS IT!**

**Roxas: Oh how I wish that I owned you... Then you would feel my WRATH...**

**Me:Oh, so do I... **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 10_

_**Spirited Away with a Fallen Love**_

_Entirely Sora and Roxas' POV_

_Desperate for changing_

_Starving for truth_

_I'm closer to where I started_

_Chasing after you_

"And how… are we supposed to get, nonetheless fit, in your sprite city?" Roxas asked pessimistically.

Sora gave him a quick chuckle, shaking his head in giggles. After being saved by the small trio, Yuna explained to them why they desperately needed help. Apparently, something was threatening their civilization and sounded pretty familiar. Sora growled when Paine described it looking almost like a large black and green dire wolf.

"Hello… Magic clothes here…" Sora interrupted, turning around and showing off his uniform.

"Hello… Not really the one who has some here!" Roxas replied with as much enthusiasm.

"Oh, don't worry… We can turn you two into two of us easily!" Rikku squealed happily.

"Yeah… Well, it _is_ only too easy…" Yuna added shrugging with a chuckle of her own.

"Okay… Since you all are so busy flapping your faces I guess I'll do it!" Paine disrupted in a monotone, opening the palm of her hand to reveal a white shining orb.

Crushing it between her fingers, Sora and Roxas' vision faded into pure white nothingness. Finally, they found themselves still in front of the three, looking at them at eye level.

"What was supposed to happened…?" Roxas asked with a quirked eyebrow, not bothering to take a look around him.

Sora slapped him in the back of the head, thrusting him forward in midair and into Yuna. Opening his eyes to see he was hugging her while floating in midair, he pulled his head off her shoulder to observe everything, though still sat in his position with his arms around her. She seemed to be blushing hard at the contact, her hands upon his shoulders. Sora and Rikku were whispering with Rikku giggling madly and Sora showing a chuckle or two. Paine had a hand on her face, shaking her head in an 'Oh, my god…' sort of way.

"Oh… I knew I was small already… Just testing ya'll…" Roxas said with a flushed face, shrugging his shoulders.

"Y-yeah… And I guess I love you too…" Yuna answered bashfully, her cheeks taking on a rosy complexion.

"Wha…?" Roxas questioned, raising his eyebrows and then suddenly noticing how he was holding her with his arms around her lower back, "Oh… Sorry…"

Snapping back, surprisingly, he didn't turn red from embarrassment, only in shock did he seemed discomforted. Sora floated beside him ruffling his hair as if an older brother with a clear smile.

"Smooth Rox… Very smooth…" he said with a smirk.

"Shutup!" Roxas snapped, though playfully, releasing himself from his grasp.

Taking in the new appearance of Sora, he smiled with a laid back attitude, "Nice wings… I thought you were a hunter of heartless, not an alliance with him…"

Sora and Roxas now of course, had sprite wings. Sora's were the color of the original heartless; they also floated gently with the foes' movements as well. They had long thick primary tentacle feathers that constantly moved in a gentle floating motion.

"I'll have you know, I once was a heartless! The only possible way you exist at this exact moment! Cool wings yourself by the way!" Sora added in all seriousness.

Roxas' were based on his origin. Of course… the nobody design. Each of his white wings had four long spikes. Three pointed down as the feathers yet sharp and thick, and the fourth on the top of the wing pointed up, a bit smaller than the others. The spikes looked more like long arrowheads than anything else, a dent on each side of each of the beginnings of the spikes.

"Yeah… They're pretty cool aren't they?" Roxas answered observing them.

"Ya'll! Okay, you two are missing the point here! We came here for **help.** H-E-L-P! Got it? Get it? Good." Paine established immediately, grabbing the two's wrists and dragging them through the air and towards their city, "Now come on! The more time we waste, the more you guys waste another chunk of my life."

The other two girls followed in a fit of giggles, gliding happily behind the three. Finally, through a small crack in one of the Radiant Garden ruins, they found the small city, but you couldn't say small exactly, or even city for that matter. It was made up of a vast amount of teeny huts and cobblestone streets, bearing many tiny civilians. It seemed to look like a medieval stage for them, but cool either way.

_I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

"He wouldn't be out tonight, and it's late… We'll start tomorrow…" Yuna observed, floating up beside Sora with Rikku by her side, "Ya'll can stay at Lulu's… I'm sure she'll enjoy the company, especially after Chappu passed on… Just tell her YuRiPa sent you."

"Well have fun! We'll be over in this hut to your right if you need us, okay cuties?" Rikku squeaked with giggles, pinching Sora's cheek hurridly.

The three left the two there alone in the middle of the street, leaving them only to their thoughts. They glanced at each other, quirking their eyebrows as usual, and made their way toward the stuck out hut. Knocking upon the door, a tall, very tall, black-haired woman sprite with red eyes opened it with elegance. She seemed gloomy and down-hearted when she took in their presence and towered over them. They noticed that she was wearing a long gray robe that opened just below her waist level. Luckily, about the entire opening was blocked with a numerous amount of various belts. She had her long black hair up in a Japanese styled bun with five long braids.

"Yes…? May I help you?" she asked in a voice that was gentle yet blunt.

"Yes… Umm… I'm Sora, and this is Roxas… We were invited to your city because of a threat. But seeing as it was late, we were sent by YuRiPa to stay with you if that is alright… But if not, it's fine…" Sora explained kindly, trying not to fumble over his words while choosing them wisely.

"Oh… I see… Well, any friend of those three, are a friend of mine… You are welcome to stay as long as you wish." She greeted warmly, stepping aside to gesture them inside, "Come, come inside… It is quite cold outside these nights…"

Sora and Roxas thanked her kindly and walked into her small house to see a warm blazing fire crackling in the corner. It was really a lovely home, though very small, yet cozy. The kitchen was in connection to the living room and the dining room. A doorway that led out of the kitchen led into the bathroom. Another room led somewhere else, which Lulu was about to tell them about.

"You'll find the guest bedroom through that door. I hope you don't mind, it's a little messy inside this old hut… And you may have to share a single bed." she smiled warmly, stepping into the kitchen.

No prob… Roxas had once shared a bed with his best friends before, so he was used to this. So it didn't really occur as a shocker there.

"Okay, no problem!" he smiled with pride and gratefulness.

He then turned to Sora with the same smile only to see that he didn't get one in return. Maybe it was the light or his eyes playing tricks on him but was Sora… blushing? Roxas squinted to see, in fact, that Sora had a reddish tint to his pale cheeks. He smiled sheepishly at what Lulu _and_ Roxas had said. Roxas inwardly chuckled at this and let his smile wind down into a gentle one. Before he said anything, the three ended up having a conversation over some hot chocolate, late into the night. Yuna was right, when they had started conversing with the woman, she seemed a lot more friendly and warm-hearted just to finally have someone to talk to for company. It was a warm night until they had to go to bed. Sora again, started flushing, which actually made Roxas himself flush at the thought of sleeping together. Gesturing their host goodnight, they simply kicked off their shoes and walked into the guest room, immediately climbing into the large bed on opposite sides.

"Good night…" Roxas mumbled quietly, his back toward Sora with the covers held up to his neck.

"G-good night…" Sora whispered in return, facing the opposite direction with an arm over the covers.

Oh, the night of a mobile sleeper…

* * *

_Forgetting all I'm lacking_

_Completely incomplete_

_I'll take your invitation_

_You take all of me now_

Sora fluttered his eyes open, his sight a bit blurry and he felt a bit awkward. There was a slight pressure upon his forehead as well as other various parts of his body. Finally, his vision cleared completely and he was greeted literally face-to-face with his partner. Their foreheads pressing together just as his and Kairi's were only yesterday, he found that they had their arms around each other, his on Roxas' lower back and the blond's on Sora upper, pressing their bodies together. Roxas had a leg hooked around the brunette's waist, their hips also pressed together. Sora turned 27 shades of red and made the hottest chili pepper seem frozen. Steam spontaneously drifting from his face, he knew he couldn't move, other wise, he would wake Roxas up! Biting his lip, he thought of possible ways he could get out of this predicament without going through complete and utter embarrassment.

But then again, he looked at the blond's sleeping and relaxed face that breathed so soundly. His skin was pure and flawlessly smooth and soft. His gentle caress around Sora made him feel safe and protected. His hair was as baby soft as his own as his natural blond spikes pressed onto his skin. He could feel the boy's gentle breathing upon his face… He seemed so peaceful lying with him, that Sora almost forgot the situation at hand. He gently took his left arm and rubbed his hand up and down the blond's back, soothing his dreams. He gave a faint smile that quickly faded away when his eyes trailed to the boy's lips. They were as flawless as his skin, plump and soft. Sora quickly resisted and denied the fact that he was growing into being a homosexual… or was he already?

After 20 long minutes of escape attempt, the brunette miraculously released himself from the blond's position and walked out to the living room where Lulu was already up and cooking in the kitchen. She turned at the sound of his entrance and gave him a warm smile.

"Well look whose finally up…" Lulu pointed out, a kind smirk smiling on her smooth face, "I didn't expect anything less… You two looked exhausted last night… Wake your friend up and come to the table, I made fresh pancakes and scrambled eggs."

Now Sora didn't let himself hesitate on that note! He was practically dying of starvation! Phenomenally, he was out of the three-set room before the guardian could say anything more, leaving a trail of smoke behind. In the guest room, Roxas had already woken up and thankfully not before Sora had. He was brushing himself off and smoothing out the wrinkles in his clothes when Sora rushed in. Without saying anything, nonetheless giving a warning, he swept the boy off his feet, into the cradling of his arms, and sprinted back into the living room. Roxas went completely tense and stiff in the boy's arms, flushing hard at the sudden contact. But the run of imagination was over as soon as Sora let him drop onto the hard floor of the kitchen two seconds after he picked him up in the bedroom. Getting on his feet and brushing himself off before Lulu could see that Sora had carried him into the room, he sat beside where Sora had seated in a flash, looking up at the kind woman.

"Well… Someone's hungry… Good, cause I made a lot…" she stated slowly, "Can you two help set the table, the cups and plates are in that cabinet over there."

She said whilst pointed to the other side of the kitchen. Sora nearly tripped and fell while dashing off his seat to get them before Roxas even got up. Seeing a brown and black blur speed around the table, it was set before Roxas completely stood up as Sora sat next to him once more. Roxas blinked with wide-eyes before looking at the other boy as if he were a psycho and slowly sitting down once more at the small table with a bit of parannoyance toward Sora.

_I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

"Well, breakfast is served." she stated gently, putting two heaping plates of large pancakes and mountains of scrambled eggs on the table.

Sora by this time was drooling, his right eye wincing while looking at the food. Roxas had an inward chuckle at this. In a flash the brunette's plate was filled with five humongous pancakes and a half of the mountain of scrambled eggs she had just cooked, whilst Roxas and Lulu slowly collected a fourth of it and 2 pancakes. And inexplicably, he was done before either Lulu or Roxas could finish off their eggs after consuming the pancakes, and yet he was still hungry. Both were too afraid to make a comment of his eating nature, having fears of him wolfing them down as a response, so really, they just stared and blinked as the boy was oblivious to notice.

Then an hour later, the boys were reenergized and ready to go, though Lulu's genuine smile had faded into a sad one. The two boys understood immediately why… She probably hadn't company like this in a long while now and missed it deeply, and really the three girls haven't visited her much. The boys, feeling guilty for leaving her like this, turned and smiled up at her before leaving out the door after saying goodbye and thanking her for her hospitality. She froze behind them with a questioning expression, waiting to watch another painful leave.

"Lulu, you are the kindest person we've ever met, letting two complete strangers into your home just for their word and offering them hospitality as if they were her own kin. We can only be too grateful for it and to say we will visit you as often as we can." Sora explained to her as the two continued smiling.

Cocking her head in confusion for a moment, she smiled tenderly down at the two teens. Then kneeling down to their level, she rested a gentle hand on each of their shoulders, looking from Sora to Roxas.

"And even though we only met last night, I want you two to know, that this is your sanctuary. No matter what you need… If it's either a place to stay or a sanctuary from sudden death, it's here… And I promise I will protect the both of you… No matter what…" she established warmly, hugging the both of them.

They hugged her back just as tenderly, closing their eyes with smiles. Finally, the two left to find the three in the middle of the square waiting for them. The three smiled as the boy's approached.

"So, have a fun time at Lulu's?" Paine asked in her monotone with little enthusiasm though she had still smiled.

"Yup… It was… nice…" Roxas answered, remembering the fact that he did not have a mother, and the feeling felt wonderful.

"Yeah… I bet she did too… We've barely visited her lately… We felt really guilty… Well, anyway, we need to go introduce you to our foe… Come on!" Yuna yelled, grabbing Sora's wrist.

The other three followed wordlessly, fear inching its way painfully into their once twinkling souls. Finally, as they flew, they heard ear-piercing scream they would never forget as long as they lived. It came from a narrow alley, and just being near it made their heart beats pump tens times faster than normal. Sora and Roxas landed on the ground, being used to battling on their feet, and silently summoned their keyblades as they crept into the pitch darkness. The only light that shown was through a vent that created bars of light on the walls of the back of the alley, _where something was moving…_

The sound that followed froze them to their spot, a bone-chilling deep growl sounded, making the boys tremble in even worse fear. The three were ready to fight behind them, their hands bearing weapons Sora hadn't seen them use before. Yuna's were two pistols, Rikku's, were two unique theft knifes, and Paine's was a long broadsword. Sora gazed behind him to observe the weapons over his shoulder, and then looked to Roxas, who was still pondering about the deep and raspy growl.

Slowly, the blond mouthed the words, 'Please tell me that was your stomach…'

Sora shook his head, too terrified to chuckle… He looked back at the light shadows that were cast on the foe. Sora almost dropped his two keyblades when he looked to see a large bear-like dire wolf rear up on it's high legs and release a long haunting howl. Then, landing back on its four feet, it glared at the two and slowly paced forward. And then, to the five's surprise, it's lip curled to bare its vicious teeth in a smile.

And then, in voice that would haunt your dreams to this very day, a voice that was so low, so unforgiving and dire, that everyone dropped their weapons except Paine.

In his cold, dead voice, he greeted the brunette, "_Hello Sora… Oh you don't know how long I've waited for you…_"

Sora tried to voice a reply, but found his voice box was frozen and dead, making him speechless. Roxas looked at the creature awkwardly, taking a few cautious steps forward. Peering at the animal through the pitch darkness and leaving the four agape behind him, he took in the animal's features, seeing that this was indeed, the bounty hunter. Matching the creature's cold, dead stare, he took in what he had said to the other teenager.

"Who are you…?" Roxas asked with a hollow voice, forcing himself to keep it steady.

The behemoth turned his head to growl at the newcomer, but only smirked, "_Ahh… I have forgotten my manners… I am Lord Essentrice… Ruler of the 5 realms, Destroyer of the 12 Kingdoms, and sacred servant to the darkness within all…_"

He bowed as he introduced himself, as if rolling onto his back in submission. Roxas found an incredibly forceful pain in his waist and spine as he was forced into a low bow also. Sora had fallen onto the ground, kneeling over on one hand with the other resting on his knee in a medieval and humble obeisance. They was trembling as the two let out grunts of pain. And miraculously, the pain suddenly vanished as soon as the wolf lifted his head with a smirk. Roxas dared to look up as the foe slowly advanced so their faces were inching together. The boy could feel the hot breath upon his face as the creature bared his teeth.

"_And maybe it is time to ask yourself the same question_…" the wolf muttered, his voice bearing a leer.

Before either could say anything, Paine, the only one who hadn't dropped her weapon, jumped in between the glare-off and swept her sword under his massive body at his legs. The dire animal had amazing reflexes as he jumped out of the way just as the woman hacked away.

"Sora! Roxas! Go! Now! We'll take it from here…" Paine shouted, not turning her face away as the two circled each other.

Yuna and Rikku took battle stances behind her, mimicking her movements. Roxas, regaining the strength that Essentrice had just stolen from him, sprinted over to the brunette who was still on all fours on the asphalt ground. He was trembling violently and his fingers were bleeding because he was clutching the concrete through the pain and agony. He had actually managed to crush the material beneath his fingers, something only few normal men were known to be able to do. Picking him up like Sora did Riku before in the battle with Xemnas, he helped the brunette limp out of the alley as the three stood between them and the creature with fear but with courage.

"What do you want…?" Pained asked venomously, the only one not trembling but still in fear of his presence.

The creature shifted the glint in his eyes to the duo behind them, bearing his teeth once more. He then shifted the shine in his eyes back to the three with a deep growl that made them shiver.

"Sesh neth den cenan querm Painé…" he said in a low poisonous tongue, his glint shining brightly.

The glint was the only hint that guided you to see where the creature was glaring his eyes at. His cold stare made everyone petrified because really, his entire eye was a glowing golden yellow, no pupils at all. Just a small glint…

Roxas looked behind him at the situation in horror, his pupils diminishing and his face turning pale. He sped up his pace just enough so Sora could still walk and they evaded the event quicker. Something wasn't right, it was like the boy was being called back to them, being pulled to be a witness.

'_Come on Rox! Don't quit on them now! Keep going!'_

'_Something… calling me back… Maybe I should…'_

'_No! Keep going or I'll screw with all of your memories and make you an idiot! Not that you aren't already!'_

All the while back there, the beast had rammed through the three as if they were bowling pins and sprinted after them, moving swiftly as he ran with ease. Looking behind himself as he ran with the brunette was a big mistake because Roxas then tripped, rolling ahead and leaving Sora behind on the ground, half conscious. Roxas, having the wind knocked out of him, forced his head to look up and see the black and green wolf stalk up and tower over the Keyblade master. Rolling him on his back so he was facing him, Essentrice let his paw rest on the boy's chest (it as big as Sora's torso).

_I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you_

The weight forced upon the boy compelled him to suffocate, as he was barely conscious already. The black and green wolf growled with pleasure, leaning to sniff and suck in his scent. Roxas gritted his teeth in frustration and fear, clasping the ground and driving himself to get up. Running toward the two just as the dog lifted his paw off of him, Roxas did a baseball slide to them, stopping next to the limp Sora, putting his right arm under and around his torso, and jumped up swiftly, sprinting away as fast as he could with Sora's feet dragging after them. The creature, caught by surprise, hesitated and then chased after them nimbly. Roxas had just enough time to remember what Lulu had told them and run to her door, but not enough time to knock or wrench the door open. The fiend was on them now, growling with satisfaction as he crept closer to corner them next to the door.

"What do you want with him…?" Roxas muttered darkly, hugging Sora's body to his.

_There's nothing else to lose  
There's nothing else to find  
There's nothing in the world  
That can change my mind_

The wolf just smiled at this and drew closer. Before anyone could act even farther, the door next to the two victims broke inward and two hands encased with a dark light snapped out, pointed at the animal. Roxas saw the creature growl in frustration and retreat as the scene before him faded into white and he blacked-out.

* * *

Roxas fluttered his eyes opened to a warm moisture feeling on his forehead. He woke to see Lulu leaning over him, wetting his face gently with a warm, wet white rag. He was on the couch covered in two white blankets.

"Good, your awake… You gave Sora and me a fright right there…" she said softly, dabbing his face repeatedly with the cloth.

Roxas pained himself to smile, still aching from the series of unfortunate events. His grin slowly vanished as he realized something. He was topless. His torso wrapped in a long tourniquet, pressuring his body inward. What happened so that he needed one?

Almost as if she just read his mind, she smiled tenderly and pulled the rag away, "Your body was internally bleeding all around your abdomen. Sora wrapped you in bandages to stop the blood flow and apply pressure to the inner wounds. He hasn't left your side since the day you passed out."

Roxas' eyes widened as he bolted up right as Lulu sat dunking the rag in a small bowl of water next to the couch where she was sitting at his side, "Day!? How long was I out!?"

Not only was he shocked from his unconsciousness, but he was also flushing into a deep red because Sora could have had his way with him if he wanted to and he wasn't awake to witness it.

"Alright, Chill out hotshot… You were in a coma for 3 days. Some of your memories and brain circuits may have been damaged when you were under manipulation from Lord Essentrice. So you may feel a bit empty headed." she answered motherly and with a soft chuckle.

Her voice was soothing. Roxas eased up a bit, though he mentally kicked himself about the fact that he could fly when they were being chased. . He turned to see Sora in a recliner asleep behind him by the fire, also having his torso wrapped in a tourniquet. He exchanged a small grin with his host before looking down upon his wrapped torso. It sure was doing a heck of a job pressuring him. It hurt to move, though Sora did a good job to ease up the pain. He really had been nothing but a jerk to him. A burden, a waste of time, a useless weight.

_There is nothing else  
There is nothing else  
There is nothing else_

* * *

_Desperate for changing  
Starving for truth  
I'm closer to where I started  
Chasing after you..._

As Sora and Roxas flew through Sprite City with their free time, they reached a back alley, somewhat like the Usual Spot. But this alley was much darker and almost pitch black, day or night. The only light emitted was the two sprite's luminous glow as they chased each other without a care.

Unlike the Usual Spot, this alley had only one entrance and one exit, and all that was up ahead was a cement dead end. The two, obviously, didn't know this, and Sora, the one being chased, found it with his glow and slowed to turn around and look at his tracker. His back pressed against the wall, Sora took a good look at the blond. Roxas ceased his soaring as well and smirked while crossing his arms. Both dropped to let their feet touch the ground, like they usually had them.

"The mighty tiger has cornered his prey…" Roxas growled playfully.

"Oh please… it's just a game of tag…" Sora interrupted, rolling his eyes.

"Shoosh! This moment needs to be cherished! Plus, I'm chasing you because you insulted my hair!" the blond pouted stubbornly, smirking all the while as he touched his hair affectionately.

"It wasn't an insult! It was a fact! You **do** look like you sleep on the same side every night!" the brunette answered defensively, returning the grin.

"Shush! Now it's time for my revenge!" his other shouted in a mock conquest tone.

Roxas, taking in the situation, walked closer with his evil grin wide and leering. Unfortunately, a thick branch just happened to be in front of his second step at the time, and by his fourth, he came stumbling toward the wall and his victim. Both laughed as the wall became his brake until it ceased because of the current event. Roxas had both hands on the wall on each side of Sora, the brunette's warm breath on his face. Roxas breath was also blown this way on Sora. Both smiled sheepishly, sweating a bit. The space between them was too little to be natural or usual. Both of their bodies were too frozen and petrified to be moved by any strength as they ceased their grins. Both pairs of eyes drowned out in the other's blue irises.

_I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you_

Quickly and absent-mindedly, Roxas thrusted his lips into the other's and closed his eyes passionately. His lips were so soft and tender as was his taste, sweet, Sora couldn't help but kiss him in return, his force just as passionate. Neither had held desire for the taste inside the other's mouth, just the corners of the entrance to nip off of. Sora's arms soon floated up to rest around the blond's neck as Roxas' arms slipped around the brunette's waist, as if a spacey hug between them, but this was no ordinary everyday hug. The remaining space between than eventually disappeared and their hips ground into each other gently, but with great desire during the session. As they enjoyed the moment, they both realized something in unison with widening eyes and pulled away. _This wasn't real_…

They didn't like each other like that, it was all from lust. Kairi and Naminé's love had left them jealous and lost. This was not love, it was just desire between the two. Desire to crave being held and cared for, to be kissed and loved and missed. _**To be a reason**_…

This was not love, but how could this feel wrong, yet so right at the same time? They were the same person… How could it work?

"I'm… I'm sorry… Shouldn't h-have done that…" Roxas stammered, rubbing the back of his head with his face red.

"Hey… I re-responded… I should've re-reminded the both of us who we like…" Sora answered, chuckling nervously, "Qu-quite a revenge huh?"

"Ye-Yeah…" Roxas answered with a low chuckle of his own.

The two left the alley on their feet, slowly but surely, with a huge tension lingering between them. Sora was slowly being torn, his heart beating fast and clearly. His temple was throbbing as he ground his teeth together. The moment they just shared was… _wonderful…_ But he wasn't gay, but why did he enjoy it so damn much?! Daring to steal a glance from the blond, he felt a long and fatal pain in his chest. Gasping in agony, he clutched the front of his jacket in pain. Roxas stopped dead beside him and put a hand on his shoulder with care.

"Sora! You okay?" Roxas asked worriedly, looking into his eyes.

Sora, in even more pain as he looked back into his mirror, bit back tears as he trembled. Shaking his head, he managed to stutter, "I-I'm sorry…"

Just as the words fully escaped his lips, he turned and did the only thing he could think of at the moment. He ran.

He ran on for at least an hour without looking back, afraid to see the face that haunted him following his every move. Roxas' love was tearing him apart. Seeking shelter in the woods that bordered the small town, he leaned over, putting his hands on a small smooth boulder to support his wait from exhaustion. Breathing heavily, he let the tears drop though he felt no sorrow, only pain. Surely Roxas had not followed him or had lost his trail if he did.

It slowly began to rain, Sora being soaked to the skin. He collapsed on the overgrown rock, slowly breathing in deep fast gasps. He was hyperventilating now, his eyes wide and dead. He couldn't go back now… Not only would he be putting his friends in danger once more like the few days before, but he could not stand being around Roxas anymore. Something was growing between them that should never have started. Sora had to avoid Roxas at all costs, no matter what.

_I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you_

* * *

Roxas had lost Sora from his sight about half an hour ago, though he still ran, not knowing where he was going. The rain now pouring hard on to his body like hail, he ran like there was no tomorrow. He skid to a stop, finding himself in a fairy graveyard. He was surrounded by heartless, all twitching and squirming anxiously, waiting for a battle. He stood with gritted teeth, glaring as he growled at the up-coming opponents. A flash of memory skyscraper courtyard sparked in his sight with the hundreds of upgraded heartless invading his view and then snapped out just as quickly. He clenched his teeth even harder as he balled his trembling fists.

Summoning his two original keyblades, he ran with a swift movement of fighting just as he did on that battle with the infamous Riku.

All he could of was Sora…

_Just hanging by a moment…_

Nothing but Sora…

_Hanging by a moment…_

His love for Sora…

_Hanging by a moment here with you…_

**The promise from Sora…

* * *

**

_And there's that dang promise again..._

_So..._

_Find the events uncalled for?! Hate the fact that I'm making their relationship lustfull? Pondering where Axel went during all this? Wondering how the bounty hunter got so small and how Lulu managed to force him away from her home? Waiting for me to just shut the hell up?_

_Yeah, so am I... _

_Awww... Poor Sora... The hero in distress... Poor Roxas... The dumbfounded promise finatic... _(Roxas:HEY!)

_Anyway, R&R Cuz There's More in the chapters soon to come!_


	12. Ch11 An Unexpected Alliance

_**Hey, sorry every for a late update... again... And yeah, this one's kind of short... WARNING! UTTER CONFUSION WILL TAKE YOU ALL! READ AT YOU OWN RISK!**_

_**But yeah, Maybe Essentrice isn't the real enemy here... But don't worry, you all will find out why when I feel like letting you know...**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Essentrice: _Keth ketchd drer mar cramen winarthden pequare..._**

**Me: Ouch... That may be an up side to not owning Kingdom Hearts in any way what-so-ever...**

* * *

**_Chapter 11_**

_**An Unexpected Alliance**_

Why was he so damned scared? He had fought monsters, lived nightmares unimaginable, managed to save the many worlds from being destroyed, and yet Sora could not face this one boy without breaking down into a pathetic heap. He knew that if he wanted to, having more experience than the blond, he could take him down in a heartbeat, but of course would not be able to bring himself to do it. If he would have to take the chance with a behemoth and to have a mere conversation with his nobody, than he would much rather like to take the behemoth.

The chosen one slowly walked and hiked through the woods as the rain came down hard. His trembling was easily mistaken as shivering as he found the crack that marked the entrance/exit of the infamous Sprite City. He took one more look at the small town before floating out into Radiant Gardens where the rain fell even harder. Sora was immediately turned into his regular self, slowly walking with his head held low. He wasn't worried about Sprite City anymore, Lulu pretty much had it covered.

Walking along on top of the Hollow Bastion's canyons, he looked up into the raining sky, tears streaming down his face, whispering, "Vini… Vidi… Vici…"

"I came, I saw, I conquered…"

Sora looked down, immediately recognizing the voice that was so deeply laid upon him, "Good… so you've to kill me?"

The being walked up and sat beside the boy in the pouring rain, his ears bent back to prevent water from entering them. Even though he was sitting down, the creature was still a foot or so taller than the teen. His presence was as haunting as before, but not poisoning.

"No… I've come to talk." He answered in his deep growling voice.

It was soothing and wise in a way. Sora quirked an eyebrow with a chuckle. He crossed his arms in disbelief, but decided to play along.

Looking over at him with a smirk, he asked, "What is it you want to talk about?"

The giant sighed before looking up into sky and saying, "I don't want to kill you… Never did…"

The boy cracked a chuckle in disbelief, "Is this a sick game before you kill me to get you entertained?"

The wolf sighed once more, looking at the teen with pupiless eyes with concern, letting his ears perk up once more.

"No… This is in all honesty, I never planned to kill you and I probably never will. And if it fancies your interest, I never lie, not for any reason." He said quietly, an ear bent back and looking into the canyon.

For some reason, this creature had an English accent to his deep voice, unlike their last encounter where his voice was venomous, straight, and vicious.

Looking away with a sigh mixed with a chuckle, he looked back into the pouring sky, "Hm… I knew you wouldn't believe me… Typical… And you're running from?"

Sora snapped his head to look at him, "W-What? I'm not running from anything!"

The K-9 shook his head with a small smile, "I may be a creature other than your kind but I'm not stupid. The other one is right, you're a horrible liar."

"H-How do you know that?" Sora asked quietly, looking at the creature closely.

"I have seen things no man has ever encountered and things you will never see as long as you live. I think it is fairly easy to look into a mere child's mind after my experience throughout the worlds. Don't you think? I'm sorry for the stake in privacy, I no it twas not my place to sneak." He answered, looking into the canyons in front of them.

Sora's head snapped again, "A-And you saw…?"

His face was turning red; some recent memories were not meant to re-seen. **(XP)**

"Don't fret, I saw of nothing serious, though I do know you running from a boy you have thought to have a big mistake with. I know you have many regrets from your past and I know that you are torn between two paths." Essentrice explained with absolute understanding.

Sora eased up a bit after hearing that, someone had gotten it out of his system for him, and that someone was someone he hadn't expected.

"Yeah, lovely life I have isn't it?" Sora asked with a cracked smile, grinding his teeth and balling his fists.

The wolf chuckled at this, "It is not just what you do to your life but what your life does to you that makes you who you are. Life is sometimes cruel to all of us, but some of us have willpower to come over it."

"Oh to be one of those people…" the brunette sighed with sorrow.

Essentrice stood up after he said this, his posture holding valor, pride and glory, though his presence still disturbing. He turned to face the boy, at least 2 to 3 feet taller than him, and curved his neck to look into his face, taking in his features.

"Sora… I know there is a great power that rests within your soul… I know because I can sense it. You are one of the most powerful and unique children I have seen yet, and your aura grows so strongly. Your strength within your heart was there before you were chosen, but it remains asleep… You just need to find the trigger for it…" he explained once more before looking into the distance in the opposite direction.

Turning to leave, he said strongly behind his back, "Sora… I may be a bounty hunter, but not in my intentions. You have a choice to make now. You either come with me for answers and be protected, there is no trickery here, or you stay and return to the others in their own protection. Rest assured, you will find what you seek, but choose wisely. I take my leave now, follow if you wish."

His breath froze in the air to join in the rainy mists. Walking a few feet away, he shook his coat as it gleamed and shined in the moonlight. Without the caught water weighing him down, he would be able to move more swiftly. Sora hesitated, thinking of the offer. Now that he thought of it, it wasn't really a choice, but common sense. Going with the dire would give him the answers he wanted and protection without worrying about his friends. He said he never lies, and his voice and aura proved that. But was there really not a trick involved? He had just spared the boys life when he could so easily have taken him down, but was it real?? Sora, deciding from the fact that he should avoid his other at all costs even though risking his life to do it, turned and held up his hand in plead.

"Wait!" Sora called, tears still finding energy to evade his lids.

The hunter stopped, but did not look at him. Sora hesitated before speaking again, his chest in pain because of the twist of fate in his life. Sighing and looking up with pride and determination gleaming in his eyes, he abandoned all feelings and left them behind.

"I'm going with you…" he said in a stone cold and emotionless voice.

The dog smiled while turning to look at him, "Good, I was hoping you'd say that…"

"But there's one thing I want to know." Sora said in a monotone, walking up to face him closely, "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Essentrice turned and sighed, closing his eyes, "Everyone has their secrets young keyblade master… Some are better left unsaid… You have yours… And I have mine…"

The K-9 looked depressed for a moment while saying this. Sora stood beside him, stroking his neck gently, looking off into the distance. Then finally, the animal straightened up and took a dignified stance once more, looking at the boy. His aura didn't seem so haunting anymore. Sora slowly smiled his regular charming smile in reassurance. Though the wolf couldn't return it, he nodded in agreement.

"Come… The day has almost left us and there is much ground to cover…" he said quickly, bowing his head, "Get on…"

Sora hesitated before obliging, grabbing the firm fur on the back on the wolf's neck. He readied himself for the air impact against his face when the beast would start running. Buckling his knees, he looked ahead. They were going to travel away from Radiant Gardens and through the Bastion Canyons. Sora let one single tear shed and stream down his face.

* * *

Roxas dropped his keyblades, breathing heavily. His forehead was bleeding from where a shadow did a cheap shot and clawed at him as he turned. His right upper arm had a deep gash in it where a White Knight had struck him, also getting him where his lip now bled. The scar in his leg had slightly reopened from all the running and jumping he had done recently, of course not fully healed. 

He glared at the graveyard as lightning split the stormy scene in front of him. His eyes had gone inhumanly pitch black again as he had fought the tens of heartless that ambushed him. Having them return to normal, he let his rage slowly steam out.

Sora was gone, and Roxas couldn't believe it. Really, his only friend in the world now.

_Not true…_

In all of this, this wasn't the only absence Roxas had noticed in the recent series of unfortunate events. In all that time, not once did he hear a sarcastic or any kind of comment from Axel. Something was wronge, he would've said something by now!

It was then he remembered Lulu's kind words where he was oblivious of what they could mean.

"_You were in a coma for 3 days. Some of your memories and brain circuits may have been damaged when you were under manipulation from Lord Essentrice. So you may feel a bit empty headed."_ She had explained to him just a day ago.

As that statement flew across his mind, he broke down into silent sobs, "Why does this keep happening to me? It's like I'm jinxed or something!"

A few minutes later, he stood up shakily, holding himself with his eyes downcast. Knowing the Sora would not have stayed in the village, he slowly made his way to the crack that led them in Sprite City. Floating out into the pouring rain, he looked into the sky and realized that he would not be able to go on in his original form without finding the three girls that changed him in the first place!

Though as if on cue, the three faeries dropped from the sky in front of him, followed by their new companion dropping with his skateboard sturdily under his shoes. He was a very skilled skateboarder, most likely better than Sora and himself. He was wearing a dark blue cap backwards and blue sunglasses **(what he wore in "A Goofy Movie" after his mimic of a Powerline song in his school & when he suddenly became popular).**

"Roxas! Right on time! This guy has been asking for you and Sora. Oh, and if you're leaving, here, you might be more comfortable like this." Yuna said with a small smile.

Her younger companion, Rikku, flew up and tapped him on the head with a giggle. In a flash of light, he was now in his true form in front of Max. The three girls said goodbye and left into the crack.

Max kicked up his navy blue skateboard and smirk with a chuckle, "Dude! Where've you guys been! I've been looking all over for you! And why were you a sprite?"

Max looked passed the blond and after the trio for a moment before looking back at him. When Roxas didn't answer but looked away, his friend's smile faded away.

"Hey. Rox. What's wronge?" he asked with concern, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder before realizing something, "Roxas… Where's Sora?"

Roxas knew that wherever Sora was, he was most likely fine. But now something that was taken for granted is now lost forever and the blond is broken in effect. Roxas looked up at his companion with a tear and rain-stained face, his eyes red and his expression pained.

'_Where's Axel…? Where's my partner?_'

* * *

**_So... How'd you like my shortest chapter in history excluding my prologues? Tell me in your reviews! And a new part of Radiant Gardens world will be revealed where Essentrice and Sora are headed! And guess what! YOU GUYS PICK THE NAME! But some rules are appointed in..._**

**_It is part of where Essentrice once lived, he speaks a unique and ancient melodic language that has been long forgotten. So the name must be original and native to the way he speaks. The place they are going is like a tower of endless knowledge and the name must fit that. So when you tell me the name, type the name in his language (I'm really just making his language by putting random letters together and making it sound cool) and the meaning in english, and please make it interesting. That is all... when I've picked one of the names from your reviews, I'll start writing the next chappie!_**


	13. Ch12 The Predicament

_**Wow... How long has it been? 2 weeks? A month maybe? Oh well... This is in fact, the longest chapter I have written so far. 15 pages on Word... But yeah... So, this chapter should be able to answer a few questions and well... create a few in the meentime... Sorry... And the song I chose for this one was the Remix of Broken Dreams for mainly Sora. Sorry ya'll, the two are seperated for the entire chapter, but there are plenty of surprises held in store!**_

_**Oh, and before I forget, thanks for ya'll entering your titles but the lucky winner was Chaotic Rei! Well... Atleast I think that's her name... Sorry if I got it wronge, I'll have to check later.**_

_**But anyway, her title for Essentrice's home was 'Edymaskoria' which meant, 'Ever Sky' and sorry, but the chapter title ended up having to change because of the change in events throughout the pages. Well, hope ya'll enjoy!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Captain Jack Sparrow: Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!**

**Security: Hey! You're not supposed to be here! Get out of this Story!**

**Me:No no! He can stay! I'll just remember to package him and give him to my cousin later.**

**Captain Jack Sparrow: Ah! I'm being pirate-napped! Who are you!? You're not my director!**

**Me: Of course not! I'm your worst nightmare...**

**Sora: Jack! In here! 'shows him to a hidden room'**

**Captain Jack Sparrow: Ah! You have my gratefullnessness Zola!**

**Sora: Don't worry. She doesn't own any of us and yet she tried to sell me on eBay. You'll manage to get used to it.**

* * *

_**Chapter 12**_

_**A Predicament**_

_Sora's POV_

_I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone_

The brunette slowly dismounted the dire wolf in silence, looking at the incredible sight before him. They stood beside an exceptionally large boulder, looking at a castle like piece of land floating 40 feet away and 50 feet above their heads.

"Welcome Keyblade Master… To Edymaskoria… My home…" the K-9 said with a proud smile at his dwelling.

"Whoa… How exactly… do we _get_ up there?" Sora asked with an uncertain expression.

"Well… Judging by where this boulder is, we just walk up there." Essentrice answered simply.

Sora gave him a weird look, quirking his eyebrow as if the wolf were crazy. The Lord just smiled back with a smug look, his eyes glinting. He pawed the rock for a moment with a sad smile, before standing up straight and looking off what looked like the end of Radiant Garden's world. Then he stepped forward into the empty space. Sora was about to stop him before he noticed that his paw stopped and was lying on thin air, as if there was earth under it. Sora gave him a disbelieving look, his eyes wide open.

"Illusion Chosen One. Simple but difficult at the same time." Essentrice explained, walking into the middle of the sky.

Sora cautiously followed, looking down at the drop into nothing that could easily have been his fate. They walked for quite some time in a winding path. Sora stepped where the dog stepped, being sure not to mistake where his paw prints were. Finally, the creature looked at the boy out of the corner of his eye, raising his eyebrows (if he had any).

"Sora… Have you noticed that you and your friend are the only Homo sapiens that can understand me?" the behemoth inquired, fully turning his head to the boy.

Sora stopped dead in bewilderment, looking up at the Lord. A short pause of silence was heard between them as they blinked at each other.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked with confusion.

"I mean that I've been speaking the ancient language of Ĥéknörãth the entire time. And so have you." Lord Essentrice explained, walking on.

Sora chased after him, "But… But how is that? I mean… I'm pretty sure we're speaking English right now…"

"That's just how your mind takes in the information. You grew up speaking English. You compute and understand in the English language. Just about everyone you have ever talked to has communicated with you through English. Same thing with your friend… Roxas." He explained in a wise tone.

"But how…?"

"Well… We may figure that out in a moment if we're fortunate. Come, we must hurry before…" he trailed off, looking a bit paranoid.

Sora blinked in perplexity, looking into the hunter's eyes. Was that a dim gleam of… _fear_?

"Before… what?" Sora asked, almost unsure of wanting to here the answer.

"Never mind, but we must be quick!" the wolf answered quickly, running up the illusion of a swirling ramp.

Sora had a hard time keeping up with him, but made it all the same to the floating palace, breathing heavily while the wolf didn't show any sign of exhaustion. He slumped onto his knees for support, coughing as the wolf sniffed the air with a sigh, his attention span incredibly high compared to Sora's at the moment. The boy looked up to observe the castle. It was the most amazing thing he had ever seen, too much for mere words to explain, but it felt like home.

* * *

_Roxas' POV_

_Today is gonna be the day that _

_they're gonna throw it back to you_

Roxas' vision blurred, there in front of Max and the three girls. His knees buckled under him, no longer being able to support his weight as his head ached. His breathing grew shallow and the burning that he had felt in Kuzco's palace returned and shot up his arm once more, making it feel like the very flesh was melting off his bone. He gasped at the pain but started to walk forward to pass by his companion. Max caught him around the waist as he fell forward, holding him tightly. The touch distinctly reminded him of his Somebody's touch that would grasp around him with strong arms in the blond's time of need, speaking for itself that Roxas was safe now. He hugged the other teenager in reaction, tears continuously streaming down his cheeks as he closed his eyes in agony.

"It's alright Rox. You're gonna be okay… I gotcha." Max soothed, getting a better grip around his body as concern filled his eyes behind his navy sunglasses.

Roxas clutched back tightly, the pain in his arm spreading to the rest of his body in a slow pursuit. He whispered one last thing before passing out.

"Axel…"

* * *

Sora silently followed the dire through the hollow grand halls of this home. Only the sound of his shoes hitting the marble floors echoed throughout the corridor. Finally, they came into a study, papers upon books upon maps upon papers settled on the bookcases on each side of the small room as a desk cramped into the middle, trashed with scrolls and maps. 

The dire wolf started to trot into the shelf they came in facing and took a running leap. Sora watched in bewilderment as the wolf morphed in midair, turning into a man. It was a familiar face, much to Sora's distaste. If the brunette weren't actually present to see the morph, he would've actually believed that Ansem, Xehanort's Heartless and Xemnas' other half, was standing before him. But letting that particular thought pass by in the few milliseconds after Essentrice's change in identity, Sora jumped in surprise, his eye twitching in confusion.

"Wha..?! How did you do that?" Sora asked with great interest, cocking an eyebrow at the illusion.

"I'm a changeling young master… It's what I do…" Essentrice replied in Ansem's deep voice, a shadow of a smirk in his tone.

He had taken a stack of papers from the bookcase and was presently looking through them, intent on finding the answers to his questions. Sora walked in, scratching the back of his head and feeling stupid as he remembered that Queen Minnie had given him this information quite some time ago.

"Oh… Yeah… That…" he said while entering the room to stand beside him and see what the pale-haired man was looking for, fidgeting with his short-sleeved jacket and feeling uncomfortable with the form the wolf had chosen, "Uh… Ahem… Why did you choose that form… exactly?"

He grew generously nervous, looking down at his shuffling feet in frustration like a little boy asking a girl out for the first time. 'Ansem' raised an eyebrow at him, slipping his finger over the paper he was reading over as he closed the stack in his hand and turned to the teenager.

He sighed before answering, "Me and Ansem were acquainted before. Really the reason why I chose this form was because it was the first plausible form I could think of for reading material. Why do you ask young master?"

Sora finally grew enough courage to look the man in the eye, smiling nervously as he answered with a slight stutter to his tone, "Oh… Er… No reason…"

'Ansem' slowly formed a smile on his tan face, his head slightly tilted to the side in thought as his teeth bared.

"Would you rather me take this form?" he asked, turning to face him directly as he stood with a pose.

His illusion quickly morphed into the form of King Mickey, his expression held perfectly.

"Or maybe this?" he continued with Mickey's high-pitched voice.

His form changed once more, his illusion copying that of Luxord from Organization XIII, the details ridiculously accurate. Sora jumped at Essentrice's expanded knowledge of the worlds and dimensions, and also really just being surprised at actually seeing Luxord's smirking face again.

"Or to your liking, maybe even these…"

His form turned to the stunning sight of Lulu's. Only, she was human sized and even on her face, the same smirk seemed gentler. As Sora started to protest to his offers, he changed once more. This time to Sora himself. The brunette found himself staring at a mirror figure as Essentrice took the same stance as his, making it as if he really were staring at a mirror. Sora leaned from side-to-side, testing Essentrice's moves as the Lord mimicked even the slightest twitch in Sora's hand perfectly. Then leaning back again with a smirk, his form shrank into a younger picture of Sora, when he was first saving the worlds. Again, the wolf's exceeding knowledge made the boy jump at the form of his younger self, smirking back at him.

"Was I really that fat?" was all Sora could say as he studied 'himself' with a chuckle, leaning over on his knees to be face-to-face with his younger one.

The younger Sora chuckled in return, straightening out his jacket. Then, to the unsuspecting keyblade master, the wolf took the form of someone he had completely forgotten about on his journey recently. The swirl of blond hair was what he had studied first, making his way down, mouth agape, through the thinly cut vest, the black/white leather pants to the flat, black and richly based shoes. Returning his gaze up to the face, he began to twitch and wince in shock. Roxas, with a beautiful smirk, was again standing before him… At least, his form was. Memories flashed through his mind like a poor T.V. program as he held his head in pain. Grinding his teeth, he felt a hand on his shoulder in comfort, opening his eyes to see the boy looking at him with concern, the stack in his other hand. He may have looked like Roxas, but his touch was different then Roxas', as was the gleam in his eyes and his aura. He could live through the day with the form of Roxas by his side once more and be touched by it without completely breaking down. It was soothing but empty at the same time.

Essentrice felt his optimism and let his hand slip off his shoulder as he smiled again. Too bad the details were so perfect. Sora could barely keep himself from blushing as he gave him a crooked smile, his eye twitching. The blond returned looking at the paper he had marked and began reading again. Sora walked up to look inches over his shoulder to read as well, repeatedly telling himself that 'This isn't really Roxas! So don't embarrass yourself and flush for no reason!'

"Ahh… Here it is… A record of your past." 'Roxas' said, turning to him as he selected the paper and handed it the teen.

_Sora's POV_

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk alone_

Sora skimmed through it, wondering what the heck it had to do with anything and then coming upon a sentence and reading it over and over again. He looked up at the wolf's illusion with a questioning stare mixed with shock. The 'boy' leaned over to read what Sora had started pointing to and sighed. He gave the boy a nod to say the sentence was no lie when he had finished reading and had taken it in.

"I'm… Reincarnated?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Yes… It is not a fantasy… It is true… And the prophecy has taken its turn on this life of your cycle." 'Roxas' answered with a distinct amount of wisdom ringing in his voice.

"Prophecy…?" Sora asked, turning to look at his nobody.

As Essentrice was about to answer, he froze, a red gleam in his eye. Grasping his neck, he took a few stumbling steps back into the shelf, making some of the papers and books crash to the floor.

"No… Not now…" he pleaded as he held his head with his eyes clamped closed, his teeth grinding.

* * *

"AAGH!" 

Roxas bolted upright, sweating intensely as his breathing inhaled shallowly. He looked around the dark room, seeing moonlight drifting through a skylight on the ceiling. He studied the sheets that curled around him, snuggling against his abdomen and absorbing his sweat drops with content. He looked down and found that his body was shirtless, his leather pants slightly peeking from under the covers. He lifted his fists to his eye sockets, massaging his forehead roughly as he steadied his breathing.

He had dreamt that he was in a large battlefield with heartless and nobodies surrounding him on all sides. Axel and Sora where fighting a ways away. Roxas was fighting with all his might with his favorite keyblades, ignoring everything but his target. At least, until he heard Axel yell from a few yards away.

"Sora!" he had yelled, blocking an attack with his chakrams. Anger burning through the redhead, he had thrown a chakram in the air to gain a free hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately the first three rows of heartless and nobodies burst into flames, buying the pyro time. He leaned over Sora, checking a wound that a cheap-shooting samurai had given him. Roxas' nobody was the samurai…

"Sora! Axel!" Roxas had screamed as the proceeding rows of fiends piled over the duo. He quickly turned to help them but found his path blocked by 12 samurai nobodies. Roxas was about to attack when he found his keyblades missing from his grasps. The 12 before him were consumed in a ball of darkness and turned into the 12 Organization members. Each one took off his/her hood in order from number I through XI. Scowling at each in turn, he had not yet encountered Axel's face. They had skipped him, but the twelfth figure was too short to be Axel. They all laughed with a leer at the blond, pitying his concern.

_Roxas' POV_

_By now you should've somehow_

_realized what you gotta do  
I don't believe that anybody _

_feels the way I do about you now_

"Concerned about number VIII are we?" the Superior asked with mock concern.

The last one yet hooded stepped out with laughter, "Don't waste your energy… He was a traitor, and has now been dealt with."

He vanished in wisps of smoke as Roxas felt an arm around his shoulder, "Besides, you didn't betray us on purpose number XIII… I did."

Roxas snapped his head to look as the figure lowered his hood to reveal Sora's face, the color around his pupils were red as he released a true evil cackle.

"Sora?" Roxas asked in disbelief, a plea toning in his voice for it to be untrue.

"The one and only baby!" the teen answered with laughter as the rest of the organization joined in, "Once a member, always a member!"

The brunette had pointed to the blond's chest to show he was wearing the signature cloak as well.

"NOOO!"

And that was when he awoke from the nightmare, grateful that it was only a dream. He rubbed the arm that still slightly burned and stood up from his bed. Obviously he was in Merlin's house. Max had carried him here. He made a mental note to thank him later as he left the room, wiping the sweat off his neck with his hand.

* * *

"Essentrice?" Sora called, reaching out to him with concern, dropping the paper he had held. 

The other boy lashed out at him, scratching the brunette's arm in the process making four thin openings in his flesh as blood dripped out elegantly. Sora jumped back, grasping his arms as his hand drenched itself in his own blood.

'Roxas' peeked at him with one eye as he clutched the bookcase behind him, breathing heavily, "Sora… Leave! Now!"

The scarlet gleam in his eye slowly grew over his pupil as his eyes dilated, "It's not safe right now… Listen, I am being manipulated by the one called Gi-… Ack!"

His head shot back as Sora resisted to try and help him. Essentrice used his remaining resisted strength as best he could to inform Sora of the dangers he was facing.

"Ehk… He is a powerful creature and has controlled me before in my times of defiance. You must leave, and not look back! Are you listening Keyblade Master?! Eh… Do as I say! The entrance is near. Now go!" he yelled, reaching out and shoving the boy out the door when the brunette made another attempt to help him as the wolf dented the shelf he was holding, "I'll be fine! Run boy!"

Sora hesitated while looking at the wolf with guilt before turning and running as fast as he could to get out of the castle, remorse in his mind. He heard a howl of resistance behind him that shook the island as he ran, his teeth clenched with his shadow running beside him.

_Sora's POV_

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone_

_

* * *

_Roxas sat on the roof of Merlin's house in silence, his arms loosely hugged around a knee as the other leg stretched out. He gazed at the stars as the cool night winds massaged his body, refreshing his skin. He was glad it had stopped raining, leaving him at peace as he thought about the events occurring. So… Axel it seems, has faded back to darkness. Roxas painfully refused to cry. Well, his best friend in the Organization wouldn't have wanted him to cry over him when he finally goes. Axel now, Roxas thought, was just a memory. A memory he enjoyed while it lasted. 

Then his attention shifted to Sora. Why had Sora ran? The contact couldn't have affected him _that_ much. The moment in the alley was a mistake, wasn't it? A mistake Roxas deeply wished wasn't a mistake.

_Roxas' POV_

_Back beat, the word is on the street that the fire in your heart is  
out  
I'm sure you've heard it all before but you never really had a doubt  
I don't believe that anybody feels the way I do about you now..._

Sora's appearance and touch has haunted him for many a week now. Roxas longed for Sora's protective hold around him once more, for his soothing and optimistic voice to caress his mind, for his hypnotizing eyes to peer down and pierce his sole to leave him at surrender to his every move. And as much as Roxas refused to admit it, he practically craved the taste of Sora's skin, his lips against his own, nipping him, _bruising_ him. And the other thing he kept in denial was obvious. Roxas, was in fact, gay.

Roxas fell back onto the roof with a huff at his intense thinking, bruising his back as he sighed deeply. The freezing tiles made his skin numb, but he hadn't noticed. 'Maybe I should continue going after him…' he thought subconsciously. 'Wait no…' The best thing to give Sora now was time…

* * *

His time was running out as Sora finally dropped down onto the floating island's grass. He could hear the pounding and crashes inside the building as Essentrice was now truly possessed and was pursuing him quickly now. He then continued to sprint to the edge only to slide to a stop, a few inches away from the rim of Edymaskoria that floated 50 feet high and 40 feet away from the world he knew. Small rocks and soil slid off the land at the impact as the smoke of dirt and dust floated around his stiff form. Sora snapped his head back at the castle where another howl was passed as Essentrice continued to refuse against his master's will to buy the boy time to escape. If Essentrice's power was enough to kill a hundred people in the blink of an eye, the boy was scared shitless to know what his master was like. 

He gazed down into the never-ending nothingness as he took a step back in panic. He didn't remember where the invisible path was that got him here in the first place! A shelf was blown out the window that was hung 20 feet above him in the castle's front. It missed him by a couple of feet, landing shelves up. A thick stack of papers plopped down at his feet, kept together by a thin rope. Sora looked back up at the window. Essentrice was close, fighting the sickness within him, though he could jump out of the same window any second now.

Sora glanced down at the papers, about to turn away when something caught his eye. There, written in Ĥéknörãth, were the few words that translated into, "The Ancient Prophecy" Sora hurriedly grabbed the stash and thanked the wolf in a hushed whisper before turning and running to the edge once more. Thinking of some kind of plan, he found that he wasn't quick enough to do so because he discovered that he had jumped off and was now falling a good twenty feet away from the land he desired to descend upon.

_Sora's POV_

_I'm walking down the line  
That divides me somewhere in my mind  
On the border line  
Of the edge and where I walk alone_

Sora looked around in panic, hoping something would help him. The only thought he could think of was that 'the keyblade held unlimited power' so he called upon the Fatal Crest that he had won after beating the Goddess of Fate Cup in the Underworld and thought quickly. Grasping the small key chain that turned the keyblade into what it was now to let the keyblade dangle upward from the force of the fall, he twirled the weapon a few times and threw the hand out, desperately wanting the key to follow his lead. Sora watched with shock as the keyblade followed his command and the small chain extended as the blade hit the island, the dragon skull's jaws snapping down onto the edge.

Sora's arm painfully refused to be torn out of its socket as he jerked to a stop in midair. He gasped/groaned from the pain shooting up his arm and held on for all his might. He seriously did _not_ want to climb up 12 stories with one arm. But almost as though the key knew what the boy was thinking, the chain began shortening, slowly pulling him up to safety. His body ached as he pressed the stack of papers into his chest, cursing and thanking under his breath. He was good as long as he held on.

Waiting for his landing, he couldn't help but think about how he felt when Essentrice changed his form to his best friend. Seeing Roxas again filled him with guilt and happiness at the same time, but not feeling his true aura was torture. He couldn't deny it anymore, he needed Roxas beside him, now more than ever.

Climbing up onto solid ground as he unhooked the dragonhead and thanked it gratefully, he started to proceed forward, happy to be on the Bastion Canyons once more. But suddenly, the giant being landed in front of him as the ground shook under their feet. He would've been glad to see him if it weren't the fact that he was just a mask now.

* * *

Roxas jumped as he shot open his eyes. He had nodded off, lost in his thoughts. The sun was a couple feet above the horizon, staring at him mercilessly. Something was wronge with it. Today it was pitch red, coloring the morning sky with blood. Roxas bolted upright to observe it shakily. The sun shown a warning throughout the sky, a threat maybe even. As much as he didn't want to believe it, the sky never lies, and something ridiculously horrible has just happened, or the blood of someone key to the future has been spilt. 

The blond jumped down onto the cobblestones in front of Merlin's Hut rapidly, his determination and concern growing, "Sora…"

He ran inside the hut and up the stairs to his room as fast as possible and threw on his shirt and jacket, straightening it out and sipping his shirt up.

_Roxas' POV_

_Today is gonna be the day that _

_they're gonna throw it back to you_

Running out, he impatiently rapped on the door next to his, hoping to see Max's face peer groggily out. He was overcome with relief when his plea was answered by the young Goof.

"Rox? What are you doing up?" he asked with little concern as he yawned.

Then suddenly becoming serious he put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "What happened to you last night?! You could barely stand and you whispered "Axel" in my ear. Who is he? Is he the reason Sora's missing?"

Roxas shrugged his hand off eagerly, "Max! Axel has nothing to do about it and I'll explain later but we need to leave, now! I'm afraid the worst has happened to Sora."

Max was ready in 2 minutes as he dashed down the stairs to meet Roxas in the living room. Grasping the dog's arm, Roxas ran out the door, leading him to wherever he thought Sora could be.

* * *

Sora awoke on a cold dry floor with his head bleeding and a deep bite mark on his leg. He was relieved to see that the stack of papers was stilled perched in his grasp. He looked to see the room around him was completely blank cement walls except for a large barred door in front of him. There was a large animal sleeping curled into a ball with his back pressed against the thick bars of the door and its fur sticking through. Sora approached it cautiously, wobbly standing up to see over its muscular back as his leg shook in pain. It had markings very much similar to Essentrice's only this one's main fur color was a dark blue and the flamed marking were blood red. But there was a possibility this was still the wolf he knew. 

_Sora's POV_

_Read between the lines  
What's fucked up and everything's alright  
Check my vital signs  
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone_

Taking a chance he called with caution, "Essentrice? Lord Essentrice?"

It growled in its sleep. It was a tad bit smaller then the Lord Sora was acquainted with, but he still held hope.

"Essentrice? Is that you?"

It growled once more, its grumble getting more threatening as it lifted its head angrily, "Silence wench! You will speak when spoken to. And you fool yourself… I am Khazan! My brother is no concern of yours you pathetic insect!"

Khazan's glowing silver eyes confirmed his identity as Sora took a step back, fighting the urge to collapse on his bad leg, "Essentrice has a brother?"

The younger wolf looked worn out as he sighed and turned his head away, "He has a brother and a sister. And no matter how long I refuse to it, I still look up to him… Sincos where are you?"

His youthful accented voice turned weary as he laid his head back on the ground and drifted into sleep once more.

'Who's Sincos?' Sora let himself ask as he sat down and took the papers into his hands and flipped through them.

Taking a breath, he began reading about his past and future. He could tell he was gonna be here a while. Sighing once again, he let guilt and shame overtake him as he whispered the name he desired to see the bearer of as he apologized.

"Roxas… Forgive me…"

* * *

They had no idea how, and they had no idea when, but at this very moment, Roxas and Max were snowboarding down the Arthiun Mountain Ranges of Radiant Garden. For a moment, Roxas had wondered if he had been drugged, but then quickly remembered that Max had suggested it so the search could process quicker. 

He slid up a ramp, flipping upside down and doing a quadruple spin before returning right side up and landing once more beside his companion.

"Nice one!" the Goof called over the speed they were going that increased with every second.

It was Max's turn now, riding off a ramp and detaching from his board. He back flipped once, reattached to the board and did a 720 before landing. Roxas gave him a thumbs up, but his eyes widened as he noticed something ahead. Max had noticed it too as they attempted to slow down to a stop, but the danger was too close now. They flew off the ledge of snow and into the frozen lake, breaking the iced surface and going under.

_Roxas' POV_

_Today is gonna be the day _

_that they're gonna throw it back to you  
By now you should've somehow _

_realized what you gotta do_

Roxas, his snow goggles luckily shielding his eyes from the deep bitter cold of the water he was sinking in, rubbed his arms and held his breath as he searched for his friend in the water. Max was floating unconscious a ways away. The frost of the half iced water biting at his skin, Roxas tore off the jacket that was weighing him down and swam to the skateboarder. By this rate, both their lungs could quickly freeze to death as well as any other organ in their body. Roxas tore Max's sweater off when he got to him and wrapped his arms around his waist as his oxygen depleted quickly. Swimming as fast as he could to the surface with Max in his arms, his lungs shriveled as his body froze. He squirmed for air just under the surface of the water, having no energy left to complete the trip.

Finally, his body gave in to the freezing water as his muscles ceased struggling with exhaustion. He let his mouth drift open as he looked up into the red sunlight peering through the water at him. He floated gently, using his last amount of energy to mouth Sora's name. Suddenly, as his vision began to blur, he saw a spontaneous impact into the frozen water, then finally his vision grew black.

* * *

Roxas opened his eyes dazedly to a blinding white light, feeling softness under his back and head as he was encased with warmth. 

'Is this heaven? If it is then screw it cause I'm not happy.' He thought stubbornly, his body sore.

"The sleeper awakes…"

He heard a slight chuckle next to him, a womanly chuckle. It quickly reminded him of Lulu and her elegance and power. Her voice was angelic and gentle, having a hint of wisdom in it as well, although still youthful. He heard Max's chuckle join hers as his vision focused as well as his other senses. His seeing cleared to see Max in front of him, warming himself by the fire in the clothes that before were sopping wet.

Giving the teenager a soft glare, the blond managed to sarcastically compliment him, "Nice one Max. We should definitely go snow boarding…"

He groaned as he fell back from making an attempt to sit up. He suddenly then remembered the warm fur under his body as his eyes widened. Miraculously gaining the energy to sit bolt upright, he gave himself the chance to see who really was the bearer behind the soft voice.

It was a large dire wolf we was resting upon, evidently similar to the dire him and Sora had met that named himself 'Lord Essentrice' and the reputation he had explained wasn't exactly pleasant. Her markings were suspiciously the same to the other wolf's except for a small amount of noticeable differences. Her main color was purely snow white while her flaming pattern that edged her body was pitch black. Instead of the flames just edging her fluffy tail like Essentrice's were, her entire tail was a pure black, as was her eyes. Her aura wasn't poisonous either like the other wolf's was, but hauntingly protective and fragile. She was a tad bit smaller than him and a bit more petite, but she seemed every bit as powerful.

Roxas scooted away with fear, not daring to glare at her or look away from her stare as he bumped into Max.

"Who… Who are you?" he asked nervously, leaning back onto his companion.

"Dude Roxas, chill out. This is Lady Sincos, protector of the free peoples, phantom behind each world's secret and guardian of light. We owe her our life." Max explained, an arm around the blond's shoulder.

Roxas jumped and snapped his head to look at him at the last sentence he said. She… saved them? But why? She was one of… well… what Essentrice was. He then swapped his vision back and forth between them, looking at both unbelievably, finally resting on her, studying her form from head to tail. She had stood up when Max had introduced her, studying the blond as well.

"So… You're not evil?" Roxas asked even more nervously, feeling small under the shadow of her towering size.

She chuckled once more with understanding, walking over to face them on the opposite side of the fire, settling down to lay on her side like she had did just a few moments ago, "Judging by your question, I believe you have met one of my brothers…"

"So Essentrice is your brother?" Roxas continuously asked, letting her answers sink in.

The thought of Essentrice quickly reminded him of Sora. What if the wolf had caught him? Was Sora even living at this moment in time? If not, Roxas would've totally missed his chance at telling Sora how he felt. How he felt about his touch. His breath. His voice. His very presence next to him. Blame and sorrow swept over the teen as he held is gaze with the she-wolf with grief in his eyes.

_And all the roads we have to walk are winding  
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding  
There are many things that I would like to say to you  
But I don't know how_

She too seemed to share his pain with anguish in her gaze from the sound of her older brother's name as she turned away, "Yes. He is my brother… A brother I can't even find the strength to help and protect."

Roxas and Max sighed at her cracked voice. If Sincos, the Lady of Light couldn't aid the one's she desired to find, there sure as hell wasn't hope for them.

* * *

Sora tossed the papers he had finished reading aside with a grunt, still a fourth of the stack to go. So… He was reincarnated; he had a vicious power growing inside his very soul that was supposed to be greater then any other power in all matter of existence even Yen Sid and the guy, Gi-whatever; his true spirit that has been reincarnated countless times is naturally homosexual so the keyblade wielder rarely has spawn; the original keyblade master he was incarnated from was a great prince of a world that is now Twilight Town and when the prophecy is fulfilled, he is to either bring eternal darkness upon the worlds or fulfill a successful destiny and become the Warrior of Worlds. So, anything else he needed to know about himself? 

_Sora's POV_

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams_

* * *

"So… he isn't really an enemy?" Max inquired, scratching his chin as he tilted his head. 

"No… My brother is still battling the sickness within his soul and believes he will fulfill his destiny of aiding the keyblade bearer in his voyage to destroy Gishnuruk." She continued to explain to help them clearly see the story.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Gish-wat-a-wat?" Roxas asked, holding up his hand as he cocked his eyebrows.

"Gishnuruk… A spiritual name that means 'Satanist Warlord of Sadism' Gishnuruk, my brothers and I have lived for five thousand years. We were birthed at the precise moment Drake was born, the beginning of the keyblade master reincarnation cycle and here is where all of our lives end. We die when Sora dies at the end of his lifetime. But his soul his so pure, he can live for centuries. Thus, will only become possible if he manages to fulfill the path in the prophecy he chooses to take." Sincos explained with little hope in her voice as her eyes produced a gleam of sorrow.

"Gishnuruk… Sounds tough. Sora's gonna have a hell of a time fighting him." Max observed, making a pained expression at the mental image he witnessed.

"You mean _we_ are gonna have a hell of a time fighting him." Roxas corrected, giving him a slight glare and unwilling to sit on the sidelines and watch his best friend suffer.

"Impossible. Only Drake's reincarnation and me and my brothers can fight Gishnuruk to fulfill the lighter prophecy. If any other aids, we are doomed and the universe will cease to exist." She exclaimed sadly, pessimism in her voice.

"Wait… _Lighter_ prophecy?" Roxas stopped, backing up.

_Roxas' POV_

_Today is gonna be the day that _

_they're gonna throw it back to you_

She sighed with sadness in her expression as she continued to explain, "There are two paths in the prophecy and Sora can choose to follow one or the other. You see, Gishnuruk isn't trying to stop Sora from _fulfilling_ the prophecy, but trying to manipulate him to choose the _darker_ path, which would declare him as powerful as Sora. If Sora chooses to open the darkness within him instead of the light, the worlds will be incased in everlasting darkness and he instead will be the Dark Prince of Death instead of the Warrior of Worlds. He will be the most feared soul in the universe and rule the darkest era in history. Me and my brothers turned into bounty hunters when we were forced to stay away from Sora for the first years of his life to protect him from Gishnuruk and the warlord has gained the power to possess us after we have surrendered as his servants. Essentrice saved my freedom by helping me escape one night before Gishnuruk could retrieve my blood to control me. I have lived in hiding ever since. Now I wait until I meet the key bearer for guidance."

Max and Roxas immediately exchanged uneasy glances at the explanation. Roxas slowly stood up and walked over to her to sit and slowly pet her neck as he stared at Max.

"Lady? I am Sora…"

* * *

Sora had finally finished reading as he stood up to observe the wolf sleeping in front of his room, filled with the true knowledge of his existence. Typical that the stack of papers titled "The Prophecy" said nothing on how the prophecy was fulfilled. He silently walked up and crouched a few inches away from the sleeping creature, holding his breath. This was one of his guardians, one who had sworn to aid him through whatever predicament from day one. 

"Khazan? Khazan? Do you know who I am?" Sora softly called in a harmonic voice.

The wolf looked up at him drowsily under a drooping lid. Yawning as his large fangs glistened, Khazan stretched and stood to observe the prisoner. His eyes were half-lidded from lack of sleep and he too stood about 2 to 3 feet taller than the boy.

"You are the prisoner I have been ordered to guard." The wolf stated without interest.

_Sora's POV_

_I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams_

"Though that may be true. But you have forgotten one tiny detail." Sora continued with a small smile as he looked at the guardian as if he were about to nod off.

As the wolf studied him, the teenager summoned the original keyblade to his side, showing the younger lord what his true identity was. To Sora's shock, (he didn't think the plan would work) the wolf's silver eyes widened as he looked the teenager up and down. He then took a low bow, smiling with pleasure as he looked at the boy.

"My Lord… It is great to have finally met you…"

* * *

The white wolf lay shocked as she studied the keyblade Roxas now held in his hands, Oathkeeper. She then stood swiftly yet gracefully and took a low bow to the blond, closing her eyes as she smiled with hope. 

"My Lord… We have awaited your presence…" she greeted, standing up straight, 2 feet or so taller then him, "It gives me great honor and pride that I have been given the chance and saved your and your companion's life. Sora, you are the fate of all hope…"

"Actually… You are only talking to half of Sora… I'm in fact, whom they call Roxas. I am Sora's Nobody, but now I am my own person and have a heart of my own but yet again, still half of Sora…" Roxas explained with uneasiness, avoiding her gaze to observe his keyblade.

She didn't seem shocked at this truth though, letting her eyes look away as she smirked mumbling, "Wow… The prophecy was more accurate than I thought…"

Roxas looked up with shock, "What?"

"Well… The prophecy is very specific compared to most prophecies actually. It said there would be some type of organization called 'Organization XIII' containing 13 shells of people who fell into darkness called 'Nobodies' who had no hearts. It was said that Sora would lose his heart and drift into darkness and create a nobody of his own but we didn't know his name until now. Sora would return after his lady friend shed light on his heartless and be able to live the rest of his life without his other half. It also said that you would leave the organization in search of the keyblade master and that you would rejoin together but then later separate into different souls. And since you are still a part of Sora, there is no way the prophecy can be fulfilled without you." She explained further, shrugging a bit.

_Roxas' POV_

_By now you should've somehow _

_realized what you gotta do_

"Well… It's nice to know I'm needed." Roxas replied in optimism, shrugging the thought of absolute darkness off.

* * *

"Finally, me and my brother can live free…" Khazan said with hope in his voice. 

"What about your sister? Sincos was it?" Sora asked, limping up to face him closely through the iron bars.

The wolf sighed before explaining, "Sincos was given her freedom when my brother helped her escape before Gishnuruk could get a complete hold on her. And for that, he paid dearly. I haven't seen him since last year in November. It seems the lord has taken an increased liking to his power while I have been used to assassinate any who have tried to oppose him in the last several months, which apparently were too many."

"I'm sorry… And judging by this wound, I was not in here for long… Your brother's spirit hasn't seemed to wither in the slightest. I was with him not too long ago." Sora informed him, trying to raise his hopes.

"You don't know how glad it makes me to hear that." The younger lord said restlessly.

He then lowered his teeth around one of the bars and tore the gate off its hinges. He tossed it away and looked down on the amazed boy.

"What? You didn't think Essentrice was the only powerful being here did ya?" Khazan said with a smirk, turning his back on the teen.

Oh, Sora liked this guy. A teenager like himself, and a smart ass. He knew they were going to be good friends.

"Come on Keyblade Master. Times a wastin! I need to get you outa here before we're caught. Someone was bound to hear that…" he rushed, raising an eyebrow as he pointed his nose at the torn gate on the floor in front of them, "On my back now, hurry!"

Sora jumped on without hesitation, being used to the rush of riding the dires from Essentrice. He sunk low into his seat as his eyes narrowed and Khazan ran swiftly. Sora admitted Essentrice was faster, but Khazan was more graceful and soundless. The brunette couldn't even here the soft padding of his paws as he ran on the walls in the turns. Sora looked ahead after the first few turns and noticed a dead end ahead of the narrow passage. He looked down at the guardian's fur with disbelief as the wolf's pace quickened. Sora closed his eyes for the impact but felt none.

Opening them, they were in another room and Khazan walked to a stop, looking around the area. Sora saw a flash of black out of the corner of his eye, turning to see it quickly advanced on them in Khazan blind spot.

"Khazan! Watch out!" Sora called, leaning toward the opposite side of wear the phantom advanced.

Just as the wolf turned, a flash of black followed by shocks of lightning hit his shoulder and glided away, stopping swiftly with bluish knives in it's hand. It was wearing an 'Organization XIII' coat and it was a she from what Sora could tell. Khazan stood frozen for a few moments before collapsing, forcing Sora to jump off and check his pulse. The woman pulled her hood back to reveal a young petite teenager's face with sea-green eyes. She was the blonde member with unique bangs the Sora could barely remember.

Khazan had four scratches in his shoulder from the impact, somehow making him fall unconscious. The girl just leered at the brunette for caring.

_Sora's POV_

_Where the city sleeps  
And I'm the only one and I walk a..._

"Oh don't worry. He's just sleeping. He won't wake up for an hour or so. A kind of venom I've put into my kunai since we've last met." She said with boredom in her voice as she balanced one of her knives.

"Who are you? I thought everyone in the organization was destroyed." Sora said harshly, slowly standing up to study her.

She cocked her eyebrow while tilting her head in confusion, "What? Lost your memory again oh heartless hero? Just like you forgot Naminé and all your other worthless losers? But fine, just to fill you in once again, the name's Larxene. Get it through that thick skull of yours. And as for being destroyed, we were. But thanks to you and Roxas' little stunt in separating into two different people, we're here again as people of our own. That's right! We have hearts now… And it's all thanks to you…"

"But why are you still killing people then? You don't have a reason anymore. Why live like this? You have a heart now!" Sora demanded, taking slow steps towards her.

"Oh, I'm not killing anyone. I'm just a girl whose now employed in what she's good at. Unfortunately, my old buddies are now my co-workers. Oh joy…" she answered sarcastically.

"You never had a heart and now that you have one you choose to abuse it? You're one sad person…" the boy answered with a smirk of his own that earned him a nasty glare from his enemy.

"I could say the same for you…" she replied, returning to her monotonous manner as she let the knife she was balancing drop into her grasp.

Sora let his arms cross when she had said this, watching her approach even closer to him to orbit his position. She trailed a finger around his shoulders as she walked, smirking at him all the while as his eyes followed her. The contact made him wish that it were Roxas toying with him instead of her, making his body relax in thought of him. Where was he now? Was he still following him?

_My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

_(maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me)_

"A normal kid living a once normal life. Best friends. A girl you crushed on. Typical kid story. Then everything changed when adventure took you away from your happy place and spat you back out where you were needed. Then after saving the worlds twice and being away from home for 2 years, you finally returned and hoped to live happily ever after. Then again, real life overtakes you and you have to do something again as tragedy always finds some way to win you over. A dark past always creates a sad kid." She recapped, letting her hands rest on his shoulders as she whispered over his shoulder.

"If you're saying I'm miserable then you're confused." Sora spat back, refusing to turn his head and glare at her.

"Oh, but am I wronge?" she asked, keeping that seductive tone in her voice, "No happiness. No truth. No love. Face it… You're as empty as any Nobody. Your world revolves around hate and suffering. You lived a lie, and now you face the truth of your existence."

"I've always faced the truth. Stop trying to poison my mind. I made it clear that it won't work." He snapped back, glaring at the wall as she curved her arms around his neck, laying her head on his shoulder as their cheeks pressed together.

"Oh, not only is he living a lie, but he's also a liar as well. I'm not trying to pull anything kid. You're just fooling yourself." She chuckled, stepping around him as her arm hung over his shoulders so she could lean on him, "Fine… Let's see… When was the last time you've felt happy Sora?"

Sora thought as he opened his mouth to answer, but he noticed that he hadn't felt joy in a while now. But he didn't want to give her the pleasure of seeing him squirm and thought quickly for a cover up.

"Recently…" he said without emotion in his voice.

_My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

_(maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me)_

She cackled then, letting her grasp slip off him as she turned and took a few steps behind him to look at the opposite wall, "You're lying."

She was having fun with this. Perhaps _too_ much fun. If she wasted any more time with him, she would have some explaining to do with the Dark Lord. So, she reluctantly told herself to find an end to it as soon as she could.

"Oh, it doesn't matter what you say anyway…" she continued, turning and dragging her gloved finger down the back of his neck, making his hair stand on end, "It's time for the real Sora to show himself now instead of this boring mask."

Before Sora could even turn, Larxene had her kunai in her hand and she pierced his neck swiftly, causing him to pass out immediately. She giggled slightly, watching him fall to the floor coldly. She turned to see an old friend walk into the room. She once called him partner before that little brat Roxas showed up. But she couldn't deny that Sora wasn't all that bad looking and she smirked at the thought.

_Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

_(maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me saves me)  
'Til then I walk alone_

"Finished playing with your dinner Larxene?" Axel laughed with a smirk as he came in.

"Oh, it was fun. You should try it sometime…" she replied, brushing her chin with the back of her arm that held her knives.

When Axel was reformed into a somebody, he had turned up missing part of his memory for some reason. And it seemed that, all he remembered of Roxas was the fact that they were once best friends until Roxas abandoned and forgot him. So it seemed that fate decided to return the favor.

Axel smirked at the limp body on the ground and turned his head to see the larger one, "What did you do? Sing a lullaby? They didn't seem to have put up much of a fight…"

"Well, Khazan I snuck up on and I told Sora the truth behind his pathetic life before striking him. It was all too easy compared to their reputations." Larxene shrugged with a ruthless smile.

"Well… Better get to work on getting a member back then…" her companion answered, lifting the chosen one over his shoulder and ignoring the other one.

Larxene restlessly followed him out with excitement. She could tell this was going to be a hell of a show and a lot more fun than usual.

* * *

Sincos stopped dead, almost forcing the two boys to fly off her back. They had left the cave after warming up and were now just outside the border of Radiant Garden. They entered the Eastern Bastion Canyons just a few minutes ago and were almost to the next clue to finding Sora. The she-wolf had snapped her head to look off into the distance, away from the town and toward the horizon. Something obviously had captured her attention as Roxas and Max followed her gaze. 

"Sincos? What is it?" Max asked, leaning over to see passed Roxas.

"Khazan…"

"What?" they inquired in unison.

"We must go. My brothers are in danger and what's worse…" she trailed off, with her head bowed low as if stalking prey; she started to trot in the direction she was facing.

"There's a '_worse_'?" Roxas asked reluctantly with worry as Sincos began to sprint and her paws pounded the dirt.

"They have your friend…"

_No POV_

_Sing with me; sing for the year (Sing it!)  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear  
Sing with me, just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord with take you away..._

* * *

**So... Essentrice is not alone... And there are many twists to this prophecy still. And I know you all are probably like, "WTF?! Okay... What's with the Larxene and the Axel coming back like normal people with the Organization looming along with em?! And what's with the whole dark alliance ma-jigger with Gishnur-blah? IT'S ALL SO CONFUSING! MY BRAIN HURTS!" Don't worry, the story will continue and your questions will be answered... See ya'll later!**


	14. Ch13 Kingdom Hearts

_**Chapter 13 already... and I started this in like.. February? I think... I thought... Anyway... Not much to say here really. And the story's probably going overboard. Oh well... This may be too extreme... Grr... I suck...**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Khazan: She doesn't... wait... she does own us doesn't she?**

**Sincos:Well, yeah... Us she does.. but not the characters from that one game... that game... game...**

**Sora:The titles right below that line!**

**Khazan:Chapter 13? What kind of name is that?**

**Roxas:... Kingdom Hearts maybe...**

**Sora:Chapter 13, my god... and I thought you guys were an intelligent race...**

**Amix/Khazan/Essentrice:_Grr..._**

* * *

**_Chapter 13_**

_**Kingdom Hearts**_

"Hey Sincos, if you've seen Sora before when you left him on Destiny Islands, how come you thought Roxas was him?" Max called over the winds as Sincos easily leapt over 13-28 feet wide gaps in the canyons they were traveling through.

"I never saw Sora. Only Essentrice did. Me and my brother, Khazan were guarding the island when Essentrice went to see him. We just kept to our posts." She replied, slightly turning her head to look at them.

Roxas looked toward the horizon ahead of them for the next few silent hours. He didn't even know this part of Radiant Garden existed. Well, he knew about the Bastion Canyons but beyond that he was totally oblivious. What was Sora doing in the middle of nowhere? So help him if anything happened to his friend heads will roll. And with these two being there at the wrong place at the wrong time, wasn't a very good idea.

A couple hours later, they came upon a large castle like place. It was a lavender 3-story building built in a medieval manner, though it did seem it was a fort made out of ice crystals. Roxas and Max hopped off of the dire's back and took in the sight. Roxas looked at the door handle and noticed it wasn't made for hands and had a pattern of deep dents in it.

"Maskorion doors. Only my people can open them." She explained before Roxas could ask.

"Is this your castle?" Max asked, almost tipping over from leaning his head back so far.

"Castle? Oh Lord no… These are the dungeons of Edymaskoria." Sincos answered with a chuckle, gripping the handle tightly with her jaw and pulling the 15-ton doors open.

Max jumped in shock and surprise at this, "What? I'm almost afraid to see your home if this is only your dungeon keep."

He ran to catch up to them inside. They passed through a thin dark shadowing in the corridor as Roxas turned and found Sincos wasn't beside him anymore. Instead, it was a girl that looked about his age. He jumped and summoned the keyblade, the Bond of Flame and glared at her.

"What?!" was all he could say before she raised her hand in silence.

"Relax Roxas. It is me. I am a changeling… No doubt you have heard of this power for my brother?" she asked as she walked on.

"Oh… Yeah." He answered with embarrassment as he let his keyblade fade away.

Max held a hand to his head with a sigh as he followed silently.

"Well, his sibling's share in just about all his abilities. Do not fret." She continued, her stride unceasing.

Roxas eased up quite a bit compared to his parannoyance, matching her stride. The form she chose had long black hair in a ponytail with long bangs framing her lightly tanned face. She wore a short-sleeved jacket much like Sora's only without buckles and shoulder guards, though it was still black with a white edging. A blood red baby belly T was worn underneath it as a string necklace with a sapphire diamond on it hung around her neck. She also wore knee long tight denim shorts with a skull belt and knee high black combat boots. She also wore black/blue sweatbands and rings the match her sapphire eyes.

Overall, she wasn't bad looking. Roxas would've fancied her if he weren't… well… you know…

"Hey Sincos, what's the deal with this girl?" Roxas asked with an eyebrow cocked.

She looked down at herself as she walked, "Oh… It's my human alias, Amix. I used her to sneak into Organization 13 to get in on secrets before I slipped away. They probably still don't know it was me."

"Ah…" Roxas ended the conversation, continuing to walk on in silence as Max followed them.

After a few minutes of figuring out the maze of a keep, Amix started running toward a room a few feet in front of them.

"Khazan!"

Roxas and Max followed pursuit, turning to see her kneeling next to another large dire lying unconscious on the ground. It was blue and red and slightly more masculine then she, though he still had a runt-ish body compared to Essentrice. They kneeled beside him, checking any signs of life in his body.

"Khazan?" she called, carefully petting the fur between his ears.

At her melodic voice his silver eyes fluttered open and he snapped his head back to look at her image, "Sincos?"

"Ai brother… It is me…" she soothed, silently crying tears of joy as she smiled at him, seeing her brother for the first time in many a year.

He shakily stood up, a giant compared to their small forms as he looked at them all, "They have him… I was struck from behind from a fast black blur before passing out. But with his attitude, I don't think he will go easily. Who are they?"

He pointed his snout in the duo's direction as his hoary eyes studied them. Amix looked at them before explaining, still wiping tears from her cheeks and recovering from shock at the news.

"This is Max, Sora's companion, and Roxas, Sora's nobody." She introduced quickly as each smiled at the dire in response.

"So… The prophecy is accurate after all…" Khazan chuckled with a smirk, looking down at the blond.

"Khazan, we must retain human forms if we are to get him back. He's in the World that Never Was." She interrupted with anxiety.

"How do you know?" he questioned, snapping his head to look at her in all seriousness.

"I can feel Essentrice there."

* * *

Roxas and Max stumbled off of the teleportation platform onto the World that Never Was. They weren't exactly used to traveling like that as Amix and Kale stepped off without effect. 

Kale was Khazan's alias. He had accompanied Amix on her mission to sneak into the organization and collect information. He too was a boy their age with black spiky hair but looked like a thorny crown and had emerald eyes. When they left Radiant Garden, he wore a normal black leather jacket with a red undershirt and black fingerless gloves. He also wore black baggy jeans and combat boots. But now they were in the World that Never Was and Roxas noticed that Amix and Kale were in Organization cloaks. He noticed he and Max were now wearing them as well. He looked at the duo with a questionable glance.

"I put them on us as a sign of a type of 'return' to the organization." Sincos explained simply, her and her brother striding passed them as Max stopped beside the blond.

"So… anything I should know about this 'organization' cause I'm kind of just going along with what you guys are doing… And really, my dad didn't say anything about it." He said, looking at him.

"Really Max… All I can say is that you'll get immensely annoyed more than once. The only helpful thing I can say is watch your back." Roxas answered with a sigh.

He wasn't up to seeing them again. And he wasn't all too sure that they had returned, and he had only taken Sincos' word for it as they were traveling to the keep. She had said that the organization had returned with hearts of their own for some reason, and they were serving Gishnuruk. She had informed that even the Superior served his power. Now this was bad…

As they caught up with the two dires up ahead, they entered the courtyard in front of Memory Skyscraper. It was way too quiet in the world. Even the wind wasn't heard, it wasn't there. The four jumped as a ball of dark smoke appeared a few yards in front of them. As it dissipated, there stood number X. Roxas grimaced at the sight of Luxord standing with a smirk in front of him.

"Hello my former members. Is there business within our borders that you want?" he taunted with a mock raised eyebrow.

"Shut it gambler. We don't have time for this! Where is he?" Kale growled as he stepped toward the former nobody.

"Oh not very friendly are we? Though I must admit you're right. Time is not on your side." Luxord chuckled wickedly, gently scratching his chin.

"Tell us where he bloody is!" Kale snarled once again, curling his fists in threat.

"Here."

The dire froze at this. Roxas and Max stood in confusion, and Amix's eyes widened in bewilderment.

"In only a moment… Your business will be claimed. The friend you know, is no more. Say hello to the true Keyblade Master…" Luxord sneered happily.

"Your wrong… You didn't…" Amix persisted, a hint of plea in her gentle voice.

"Yes… He has become his destiny, all because of the Key of Destiny over there. Roxas parted from Sora… So we came back with our own hearts in effect, so then we could fulfill our roles of telling him the truth after all this time. But now, he can tell you himself before it will happen. Even though it is only the 27th of August." The gambler explained cheerfully with a smirk.

Max looked at him with his confused expression all the more bewildered, "It's the 27th of August? That's impossible! It's…"

"True…"

Kale interrupted, growling in his own frustration.

"Like I said, time is not on your side…" Luxord repeated slowly in a monotone, "And so my fellow former nobodies… The child you once knew has been destroyed… Meet your new lord…"

On that note, 12 other balls of darkness appeared behind him. One was exceptionally big that revealed the Superior sitting in a large throne in the middle. Axel was on his left and Sora stood emotionless to his right in an organization cloak of his own. The brunette no longer had glistening pools of sapphire sight, but instead, had pitch-black shadow that conquered his entire optic so not even the pure white was showing, just as Roxas' were when he was overtaken with rage. They were just like the dire eyes, only mystic and dead.

Roxas stared unbelievingly at the sight of Axel and Sora, his partners. Axel looked like he didn't even know who the blond was and Sora… Sora had no expression whatsoever.

"Sora!" Roxas yelled, running to hug him.

He hadn't seen him in days now… Weeks… But he felt something stop him from a pressure in his left shoulder. Kale was pulling him back, preventing him from going any closer to him. Roxas looked at him and snapped his head back at the organization in front of them, waiting for their next move.

"Don't you ever listen? Your friend is gone. Destroyed. This is Sora's true form. What time has molded him into, what he has been for a while now. You really think a kid with his kind of past would seriously be that cheerful?" Larxene stepped up, looking at her former co-member as if he were insane.

"As if! Don't waste your breath Larx. They're idiots if they couldn't see it before." Xigbar on Axel's left cut in, surpassing a slight chuckle in his voice.

Zexion, who was standing between Larxene and Sora, smirked at this, "Took the words right out of my mouth…"

Xemnas raised his hand and everyone quieted. He nodded toward Sora next to him who simply nodded back, proceeding to walk toward the four and a levitated-like trance. Stopping a foot from Roxas, who Kale had recently let go, Sora silently studied him.

"…Sora…" was all Roxas could say as he stared at the brunette's tenebrous black eyes.

"_Keyblade Master…_" Sora responded as if addressing him at work.

"What did they do to you?" the blond whispered, refusing to let tears slip passed his lids.

Sora looked at him with a smile, though it wasn't one of his bright charming smiles, but a distant hollow smile that meant nothing, "_They did nothing to me. This is me… What life has done to me, and what I have done to my life… It's me Roxas…_"

"Yes… I guess it's true… This is you… But there is something missing. Where is the part that I looked up to? Where's the part that made you my best friend?" Roxas asked quietly so only the three behind him could hear.

"_He is no more… In fact… He was never there…_" Sora answered slowly, his words silently dripping with venom as his voice spoke too softly.

"You were my brother Sora! My father, my mother… My friend! My partner! I loved you!" Roxas yelled, a tear escaping his eye.

If you really focused on his mouth, you could see him quietly mouth the words, 'Though less than I love you now…'

"_Yes, yes… Your brotherly love… A bit blurry but now I see it. You and he were quite close weren't you?_" the figure reminisced, caressing his chin in thought.

"And we still are now! You just don't see it do you?" Roxas barged in, lashing his arms out to his sides in disbelief.

Before anyone could say anything more, Roxas rushed toward him and caressed the brunette's cheek before thrusting his lips into his, tears falling freely now. He let his hand rest on his other's chest, placing the kiss passionately. The taste was the same. It was still his Sora, the Sora he knew. The feel was no different either. This was Sora.

All Sora managed to do was let his hands jump up in surprise on either side of the boy as he froze and the others just watched with quirked eyebrows and shock as the scene unfolded. But if you looked closely at Sora's eyes, you would manage to see a flicker of the blue pool that was once there before. Finally Roxas slowly pulled away, letting his hands fall to his sides as he looked at Sora with a tearstained face, waiting for his next move.

"I love you…"

Sora stared back as he let his hands slowly drop to his sides as well, his face expressionless.

"I know…"

That tone… That _voice_… That wasn't the Sora in front of him, that was the friend who saved him countless times, the Sora he had come after.

Suddenly the brunette's face hardened again, glaring at the blond with pupiless eyes. He clenched his hands as he looked at Roxas with annoyance.

"_Axel. Larxene._"

The pyro and nymph appeared at his side in a matter of seconds, ready for an assignment. It seemed since Sora was so keen in their destiny, they would obey him just as they obeyed Gishnuruk. Roxas could see the Superior sitting quietly with patience, Zexion and Xigbar at his sides, staring with content.

"_Show our guests to their quarters, and Axel, give my old friend the special room._" Sora ordered, turning and beginning to walk to the Superior before stopping and narrowing his eyes as he looked over his shoulder, "_And, show him the meaning of flame._"

With that, he disappeared in a ball of dark smoke along with the rest of the organization. Axel grabbed Roxas' arm and began to lead them to the castle as Larxene stood next to where he was, looking at the three remaining with a smirk. She then called upon her kunai and shot one out at each of their right wrists. As they flew through the air, they could see that they were attacked to mini chains that she held in her hand as they wrapped around their wrists, binding them to her. Dragging them to catch up to Axel, she smirked each time one nearly fell over.

Roxas, who was slightly uplifted by the grasp of Axel's hand, was too heartbroken to say anything about what just happened recently, but wanted to know why Axel was here.

"Axel?"

"What?" he answered, a little too irritated.

"Why are you doing this?" the blond asked, looking up at him.

The pyro looked down at him for a second before answering, "Because I now work here."

"When you finally have a heart?" Roxas asked in disbelief.

"Why would you care? You were my best friend and then you abandoned me and left to find your precious somebody!" the flurry growled, refusing to look at him.

"Then how come you weren't as ticked off when your conscious drifted into my mind?" the blond asked sternly, his voice turning cold.

Axel looked down at him on this, "What?"

* * *

"So… Why don't you fight? I mean with your legendary strength, can't you take me down?" Larxene questioned, leaning next to the door, twirling a knife. 

"Yes…" Kale answered, leaning against the opposite wall with a glare.

"Okay… and you refuse to rebel… why?" she questioned further, letting the knife spin on her finger like a basketball.

"Because our master is here… And we aren't leaving without him." Amix interrupted, sitting next to Kale with her knees pressed into her chest.

"Are you talking about the bounty hunter dude, or Sora?"

"Our brother can take care of himself. It's Sora we won't leave without." Kale mumbled, looking away from her.

"And I guess with him all in a trance like that, it won't happen." Max added, sitting sprawled next to Amix.

"Okay… So Sora… He's gay?" she inquired, changing the subject.

"The reincarnations of the Keyblade Master cycle are naturally homosexual. It was certain that Sora would be no different." Amix explained once more, looking up at her.

"Ahh… Of course... So… I just want to let you guys know, I'm on your side." Larxene finished, dropping the knife in her hand and walking out of the pure white cell, leaving them to ponder silently about her last statement.

* * *

"**LIAR!**" 

Another burning hot streak of pain sliced itself in a thick line across Roxas' back. He bit back another yell, refusing to fill the castle with his screams of agony. Axel caught his returning chakram and shakily glared at his former partner's lashed back. This was strike eleven of fifteen, and the blond's back was scarlet with blood and burns caressing the thick slits in his flesh. Axel had stripped him of his cloak so only the baggy leather pants remained as they continued their conversation from walking up to the castle and Roxas was chained to two titanium poles.

"Axel… I didn't abandon you… I left because I wanted to know about my life and how I could still feel when I wasn't supposed to have a heart. We were partners, and watching you _die_ like that broke me down. I'm sorry I forgot you when I was in Twilight Town, but that was _DiZ_ who screwed up my memories. It didn't happen like you think." Roxas continued to explain, pressing the truth.

"No… Stop messing with me Roxas! Stop feeding me these damn stories!" Axel repeated his refuse as he whipped his other flaming chakram at the blonde again.

Roxas choked back another scream of pain, clenching his teeth as he denied unwanted tears to flow. He felt insignificant, kneeling and facing the once pure white wall now tattered with his own scarlet regret. As another fatal strike slashed trailing his spine, he tightened his fists, evading another yell.

Maybe he deserved this, maybe he didn't. All he could think of right now was Sora and what he has become and what he had said.

'_I love you…_'

'_I know…_'

That made Roxas want to cry tears of joy, sadness, guilt, pain and anger, all at the same time. Probably making him glomp Sora in the process. He didn't care what he was doing now, the old Sora was in him somewhere. Roxas knew that the worlds would be covered in eternal darkness for sure now… But he didn't much care.

He gasped as a horizontal gash crashed from shoulder to shoulder, followed quickly by two hacks that met at the bottom of the neck and parted as they reached his hips. These three cuts were deeper, and probably permanent from the force. Meaning Roxas would walk around with an 'A' on his back for the rest of his life. He heard the door close behind him and let his body grow limp as his chained wrists kept him kneeling.

'_If this is what he wants, so be it…_'

* * *

Roxas hung loosely with dried blood layering his numb figure. He heard a silent click but shook it off, uncaring as to what it was. He was half dreaming and half awake, but barely conscious. He could pick up silent footsteps of a pair of boots but still didn't care as his lids levitated, half open. 

"Oh my god…"

The voice was gentle, embracing in a way. He noticed three other sets of footing nearing him, but couldn't find the strength to move, much less open his eyes. It had been seven days since he had received his scars, and yes, today was in fact… The day, of the prophecy. Sora would fulfill his destiny and become the Dark Prince of Death today, and Roxas couldn't gather himself enough to even care.

That's when he felt a gloved hand softly lower itself to his shoulder. The feeling was nice after being isolated for so long. But something was wronge… Was someone… _crying?_

"Roxas… I'm so sorry…"

That voice… He knew that voice… Gaining his strength with great effort, he managed to open his eyes and look up at a blurred image. As his vision cleared, the first thing he saw was the pair of crystalline pools of ocean blue that gazed guiltily down at his own. His eyes widened, looking up into Sora's face.

"S-… Sora?"

Roxas noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Max and Kale were silently breaking the chains that bound him to the room. Falling over, Sora caught him and let him lean forward into his chest, resting his head on the brunette's shoulder. Amix ungloved her hand and lightly touched his back, tracing the scars.

"I can heal him, but these three will leave their mark permanently. The flesh will be tender for a few more days."

"I'm afraid we don't have that kind of time." Sora replied with doubt, lightly stroking the blond's check with his thumb as his right arm protectively wrapped around his waist and tears quietly fell.

"So, meaning we have to get out right now huh? Let's go!" Max rushed as Kale agreed with him.

As Amix quickly finished up, she gloved her hand and stood up as Sora recloaked the blond and stood with Roxas bridal style in his arms.

"No… _Ya'll_ have to leave. I'll stay to give you guys time. It's happening no matter what, exactly at midnight and it's 11:30 already. You and Roxas have to go without me." Sora argued, running in front next to Kale as Max and Amix trailed behind.

"We're not leaving without you, you know that as well as we do." Kale debated, leading them around the corner and out of the castle.

"And as your Master you _will_ obey me! My darkness has thickened. The worlds **will** be covered in shadows if we like it or not." Sora bickered back.

"And as your _friends_, you will listen to **us**! Your coming with us whether _you_ like it or not!" Max yelled after the duo, running in step with Amix.

"Guys! Look what I've done to you, to Roxas! You don't think my future betrayals could be worse?!" the brunette continued to refuse, lightly hugging Roxas to his chest as they sprinted through a large maze.

"Well really does that matter!" Amix joined in, grinding her teeth at the keyblade master.

"What's that supposed to mean?! Of course it would matter!" he answered, exiting the maze next to Kale.

Skidding to a stop, they observed four balls of gloom appearing to block their path, revealing Xigbar, Xaldin, Marluxia and Luxord, in that order, standing side-to-side with smirks.

"See… This is what happens when you take the front door." Xigbar began.

"And this is what happens when you're stupid enough to run around arguing your heads off as you try to escape." Marluxia finished, calling his scythe to appear in petals in his right palm.

Sora wasn't listening though; Roxas had said his name once again as the remaining three fenced him from view of the four.

"What trance did they put on you to make you like that?" Roxas mumbled with his voice cracked.

Sora smiled sadly and looked down into his mirrored pair of eyes, "It wasn't a trance Roxas… That was me… Rather me as I should've been all these years. All they did was break the mask. None of it was a lie. Your listening to the part of me that takes control over my darker side. This, maybe to your relief, is me as well."

Roxas understood immediately with both sadness and joy. This would explain his trances when he got pushed to the edge. But he didn't care though, he had found who he was looking for and it wasn't in vain.

"How the hell is it 11:55 already?!" Max asked, checking his own watch to see it proved true.

"Time flies when you're playing games…" Luxord answered with a smirk, shuffling a stack of cards in his hands as Xigbar and Xaldin called upon their weapons.

"_This isn't a game._" Amix growled poisonously.

Her usual soft and gentle voice was a surprise to hear filled with malice and spite. Even Kale seemed shocked to hear her tone like this. And all this time she was under the shadow of a large base ruin of a tower as her sapphire eyes shined viciously through the darkness, making her form even more mysterious. Walking slowly toward the four in a haunted movement, she morphed as if the light revealed her true form. Sincos stood with her teeth bared ruthlessly as she lowered her head to about Marluxia's height, a growling escaping her throat.

Kale morphed as well, exposing his dire form with a snarl as he lowered his head to meet Xigbar's eyes. Max stood to Sincos' right, ready on his skateboard (that he miraculously acquired from nowhere).

Sora walked up between the two wolves and looked at the scene. The dires were menacing enough to make the four flinch, but not enough to make them back down.

The four weren't looking for a fight though. They were stalling.

Before Sora had realized it, it was too late. He heard a large bell alarm throughout the world, marking midnight. He could feel himself and Roxas being encased in their shadows. Roxas dropped down onto his feet and hugged the brunette to him with his oncoming strength. Sora embraced him in return; burying his face in his other's shoulder.

"I will never leave you again." He whispered into his ear, regretting all that he had done.

"And I'd follow you anywhere anyway." Roxas replied, squeezing him tighter as they became their anti-selves.

The universe shook beneath their feet, all darkness drawing toward them, filling their strengths and their weaknesses. They could hear the sound of debris and walls crumbling as the earthquakes refused to cease. They clenched their teeth as the rumbling stopped for the moment, leaving them in temporary silence. Then finally came the outburst.

A huge pillar of shadow encased them as it grew into a large mushroom bomb, the wind carrying them to float in the sky within the pillar. It was happening… The end of all hope. They could feel the embodiment of darkness surrounding each and every living thing, power taken from them and given to them at the same time. The pillar parted into two thick tentacles that rose into the sky, clashing at a certain point and slowly turning the sky gold, a large moon. Finally, a huge explosion forced winds to blow through the universe and Sora and Roxas to fell to the ground unconscious.

The one living spirit of Kingdom Hearts overshadowed the universe now, taking the shape of a heart-shaped moon like Xemnas' only a lot more powerful. And with Sora's last breath, he let a single tear drop down onto the soil beneath him and whispered.

"_No…_"

* * *

**_And no guys, Sora did not just die. He just fell unconscious if that's what you were wondering. See I told you I was thinking a was getting a bit into an extreme state here with the whole Kingdom Hearts thing. And ya'll got to see the true side of Sora here, atleast, according to me. But seriously, you think a kid with that kind of life would be that cheerful all the time? I wouldn't think so. But yeah, he does have a cheery side, don't worry. And don't think this is the end, this is just the beginning... kind of... sort of... almost..._**

**_Anyway, review if you can and I'm glad so many people are getting into my story though this chapter may have just ruined it for you! I hope not..._**


	15. Ch14 Max Lockhart

_**Chapter 14 is up now... Yup... chapter 14... up... Okay I'm bored... Anyway, I think I'm gonna break the rules that I made for this story because alot of the next chapter are going to be song filled, so I'm not going by even's anymore. Sorry guys, and if you don't want song chapters just tell me in your reviews and I'll stop. It's just that I found songs that fit the events so well and now I'm basically just getting carried away. So, read and review so I know where I suck at writing!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Max:I guess she owns me and the dires... but not Sora, Roxas, the other Max, Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Vexen, Lexeaus, Zexion, Saix, Axel, Demyx, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Radiant Garden, The World that Never Was, Kingdom Hearts or Fenrir. Saying that she doesn't own the entire story of Kingdom Hearts or Kingdom Hearts 2 or any of the new worlds that were placed in this story but she does own the plot and a number of characters that were newly introduced. So now she has every right not to be sued so don't try.**

**Roxas:Whoa... She said that all in one breath... Now that's just scary...**

**Sora:And I thought only I can do that...**

**Max:...don't make me stab you...**

* * *

_**Chapter 14**_

_**Max Lockhart**_

_Sora's POV_

_In this farewell_

_there's no blood_

_There's no alibi_

_Cause I draw regret, _

_from the truth _

_of a thousand lies_

A figure stood in the darkness, looking out a whole walled window over a world. You could barely managed to see a spike helmet on his head. Other than that, all other details were impossible to make out. He watched a figure disappear over the horizon as cloaked men watched it leave in shock of what had just happened. The figure snickered wickedly in a voice that could be mistaken for two haunted tones.

"_Perfect…_"

* * *

Sora awoke to himself not wearing the Organization cloak anymore, but a ranger's dark blue cloak, black tinted midnight blue armor covering his body and his crown pendant around his neck and a K and H on his breastplate. He felt something soft under his back and noticed black fur under him. Painfully, he managed to turn his head and see the expressionless face of Essentrice lying peacefully under him and staring at the fire before them. He could see Khazan lying a few feet to Essentrice's right staring at the fire as well with his ears perked up as Max slept on the dire's side as Sora was. To Sora's left, he saw another large wolf that was black and white but more feminine then the other two and saw that she was sleeping peacefully with Roxas unconscious on it's side. He was in his usual Twilight Town attire. Sora's vision focused more clearly and he noticed a ghost of a dragon/horse shape that stood a few yards away between the views of Khazan's and the white wolf's body. He couldn't make out any special details but it looked dangerous. 

He pushed on the dirt under him so he could sit up straighter and observe everything a bit easier. Essentrice looked at him with a shadow of a smile on his face.

"It lives…"

Khazan looked up at this as the others stayed asleep. He shadowed a smirk on his face before chuckling.

"You're a real handful, really…" he said with his quiet laughter.

Sora groaned at the slight pain in his neck and arms as he looked at them. Essentrice was with him now, so now he hadn't a care in the world at what could harm him. Then he realized what he had just done and looked guiltily at the ground.

"Wow… I really screwed up this time. What have I done?" he asked with a cracked voice, regretting everything, but mostly what had happened to Roxas.

"Nothing worth hating you for." Khazan answered simply.

Sora just stared at him, "You're bizarre! You wolves are clearly insane!"

Essentrice let his smile show at this comment, chuckling whole-heartedly, "You could say that. Nothing that you do is cruel in our eyes. It's our nature."

Sora looked over at Roxas sadly, then studied the wolf under him, "Who's that? And… Where are we?"

"Our sister, Sincos, Lady of Light… She was the only free one under Gishnuruk's rule because of Essentrice. Amix is her alias that you saw as Kale was mine." Khazan explained basically.

"And we are still on the World that Never Was… We're just on the opposite side of where the castle is…" Essentrice finished, looking back at the fire.

"Oh…" Sora answered gloomily, rubbing his armored arm.

He wasn't paying attention when she had turned into a wolf. He could care less then. When his honorable side took control he had no memory of what had happened when he was in his dark sided phase, only the fact he had Roxas whipped, badly. But now… Now… He was the Dark Prince and nothing could stop him at whatever he wanted to do… The prophecy was fulfilled. He would take his revenge on Gishnuruk, no matter what.

_So let mercy come, and wash away_

_What I've done_

"So… What's with the armor now?" the Dark Prince inquired, looking from his fingerless glove down to his radius.

"You're the 'Dark Prince' now. The armor you are wearing was once Drake's." said a young woman's English accented voice anonymously.

Sora whipped out Fenrir on the spot, jumping up as fast as gravity would let him, and looked around the camp as no one else looked alarmed. A young woman about their age, probably a tad older, walked into the camp. Sora observed that her appearance wasn't exactly, _normal _you could say.

Flowing violet hair was tied into a long braid down her back. Her torso was barely covered really, just around the section of where her breasts were, was a one-banded blue crop top that had a zipper running down the middle. She wore black/blue camouflage pants that tucked into her black steel-toed combat boots. Around her waist was a provision belt with a wolf's head buckle and a sagging studded black belt hung loosely under that. She wore three thick mithril chains, one on each of her upper arms and another around her neck as a choker. Also wearing fingerless gloves with torn ribbon wrapping her lower arms, she carried a long black blade, sheathed on her back.

If he weren't gay, he'd probably be drooling right now. But unfortunately, he was in an increasingly bad mood to be polite to strangers. Sora directed Fenrir pointedly at her chest with a glare with lightning fast reflexes. Though his movement was vicious, she seemed unaffected and stood as if unthreatened.

Smirking, she touched the tip with her pointer finger and lowered his blade for him, "Whoa there tiger. Now, now… Is that the kind of greeting I get after saving your ass?"

She definitely had a heavy English accent. Sora observed her eyes closely. They were entrancing almost. The main thing that was easy to see was that her eye's irises were both black and blue, colored as a 'toxic' symbol. Then he finally realized what she had said.

"Saving me?"

"Hey not just you Blondie, your friends too." she finished, nodding her head over toward the wolves and the boys with them.

"How could you have possibly saved all of us? And I'm not blond dammit!" Sora said stubbornly.

"You're right… It looks like you're going to be though, soon enough. And you can thank Shydran for flying all of you out of there. If it weren't for him, you'd be overtaken already." She answered basically, walking over and shaking the dire and two boys awake.

Sincos, Roxas and Max looked up at her drowsily, letting their visions clear. The two boys jumped at the sight of her, obviously going 'WTF?' as their eyes focused.

Sora growled at her overtake on his hair but shook it off. Essentrice and Sincos smiled at her as Khazan stood up with his grin.

"Good timing K. Nice to have you with us again." He said brotherly, looking down at her affectionately.

Said girl walked up and scratched behind his ears gently and turned to face everyone else, "Well, I did have a debt to pay, didn't I?"

"And this more than covers it." Essentrice cut in, standing up as his valor could be seen throughout his stance; he looked at her just as affectionately as Khazan did, "Kishna…"

As he said her name, she strode up and hugged him tightly around his neck, "I've missed you E…"

"And I you…" he said back fondly.

As she stepped back, she looked at them all again as Roxas decided to cut in, "Whoa, whoa, whoa… Who's this 'Kishna'?"

Though right as he said her name, she drew her sword from her back-sheath in a blink of an eye and pointed the golden tip at his neck under his chin. He flinched and leaned back a bit, evading the immensely sharp blade. Her golden marked black sword glistened sadistically, ready to strike. Sora had Fenrir at the ready if she made any wronge moves.

"Don't call me that… Only my family may call me that and you _prince_, are not my family." She said fiercely, glaring coldly at him with poisonous eyes, "To you, my name is Max."

"Stand down Kish… They are friend, not foe." Sincos finally stood up along with their Max and smiled down at the three boys as the girl lowered her sword and softened her eyes, "Princes, Max Goof, this is Kishna Max Lockhart. She is one of the single beings in this realm that is unaffected by the prophecy. She takes orders from no one, a refugee from the law. She is her own spirit and has a strong will. You owe her your lives."

Kishna partly bowed as she was introduced, but Max jumped in surprise at her true name.

"Max Lockhart! _The_ Max Lockhart!? Oh my god, his majesty told me about you. You are one of the four single greatest assassins known to man! On your record, you've killed _thousands _when you had only turned 13! They say you're a mercenary and were once recruited as a soldier at Toxic Inc. Is it true you are skilled in hand-to-hand as well as swordsmanship?" Max asked with wonder.

By this time, the teenage woman looked a bit freaked out at the sudden knowledge about her, but slowly nodded her head. She sheathed her sword by now and observed the brunette and blond, or according to her, two blonds.

"So these are the 'great' princes. Hard to believe… Let's have a go at it shall we? How 'bout a spar then?" she offered, crossing her arms and challenging the both of them with her eyes.

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done_

Sora and Roxas' acceptance shined brightly in their eyes as they challenged her stare back, but glanced at each other and glared at her, "Sorry, we don't spar with strangers."

"Okay, have it your way then." She answered taking no offense, turning and starting to walk off where the shadow of the dragon creature had been.

They glanced at each other and smirk as her view finally cut them out. Both turning in unison, they each spun and kicked up one of their legs to strike her back to catch her off guard. But unfortunately, Kishna seemed to be one step ahead of them as she swiftly turned and blocked both their blows with her laced arm. Even though she was the one advancing and they backing away, they were delivering all the hits as she blocked them without effort. Finally after 5 minutes or so of them sparring and the others shaking their heads at how naïve the two boys could be, Max Lockhart finally sweep kicked them off their feet as they landed flat on their backs, side by side. Unsheathing her sword once more in a flash she stabbed the earth between their faces, which wasn't far off from cutting either of their cheeks.

"Good." She said ruthlessly.

Suddenly at the end of her statement, two scythe-like blades whipped out of the sharp sides of the long sword and stopped dead about four inches from the dirt on the other side of their faces since her blade was dug into the earth so deeply.

"But not good enough."

As a couple seconds flew by, she retracted her blade and enclosed the scythes within it to sheath it. She offered both of them one of her hands and they took it gratefully as she helped them up.

"You two aren't bad. I really had the advantage since we were fist-fighting instead of sword-fighting." She complimented with a new softness to them.

"Thanks. We're not usually used to not using keyblades so we see your point." Sora thanked, finally accepting her as friend.

Roxas wasn't quite that ready yet and half glared at her for beating them so easily, but he was willing to accept her.

"So, you all need my help. With what again?" she asked, adjusting her belt.

Before anyone could say anything, Sora's expression turned hard and he answered immediately, "With reversing this."

The dires stared at the back of his head as Max and Roxas looked at him with cocked eyebrows. Kishna on the other hand, looked back at him with thought. Her face lit up a bit at what he was saying.

"Ahh… The whole prophesy thing right? Well… I can give you at most hints… But all I have are really theories and they're not guaranteed to work." She answered doubtingly, rubbing her chin.

"Tell me everything. Anything from hints to near-death stunts… I've got to change what I've done. Or I'll never live with myself." Sora demanded, brushing the dirt and dust off of his armor.

"Okay prince… You've got yourself a mercenary." She accepted, shaking his hand.

The group started to move again, walking into the distance as Khazan and Sincos looked uncomfortable. Essentrice seemed unaffected though, accepting what the prince chose to do.

"But it's impossible, the prophecy is absolute. The future is sealed. You cannot change the past!" Sincos spoke up, as she called after them.

_Put to rest  
What you thought of me  
Well I cleaned this slate  
With the hands  
Of uncertainty  
_

Everyone looked at her with sighed agreement in their eyes. They had little reason to do this, but Sora refused to accept it. Essentrice looked back at her with a soft smile at his sister.

"No… We cannot change the past. The prophecy is absolute. But no future is _ever_ sealed sister. Our fates still have freedom in their lines. From now on as it has always been, our destinies will be guided by our choices. As I agree with you, our hope thins on the edge of a knife as our moral wanes, drift just a slight and it will fade. But I do believe we can change the future no matter what fortune delays us."

As these words of ancient wisdom drifted passed them, they were hit with a mighty blow of hope that encouraged them ecstatically. Sora's eyes glistened as they connected with Essentrice's, and then turned away to walk between Roxas and Kishna once more as Max trailed a bit on Roxas' left. The Lord was truly his guardian and would stay by his side to the death, just as Roxas would.

Roxas…

A faint voice lingered throughout his mind. A memory from his true darker side, what had really happened in front of Memory Skyscraper back there…

High-pitched echoes sounded as if someone were sharpening a knife next to his ear. A rather ghostly streaking sound.

_So let mercy come _

'_Som-Something missing…_'

Roxas' hollow voice scratched at the memories. The statements that repeated almost stuttered in a way and overlapped its echoes rapidly.

_And wash away _

'_He is-He is no m-more… In fact… He was never-never there…'_

His own cold dead voice answered, freezing his memories. Sora held his temple in pain from the screeches that stabbed his mind.

'_Yo-You were my brother Sora! My frien-partner! I loved you!_'

_What I've done_

The pain in his friend's voice was unbearable, as if he had lost the only thing important to him in life. A scene flashed repeatedly through his mind, like a scene on television with bad reception. It was Roxas with a single tear streaming down his face. There was no sound but his lips were moving slightly, as if it wasn't meant to be heard. It repeated as Sora tried desperately to make out the words.

He could just barely make it out, but it still was unclear.

The words that were left unsaid…

"Sora!"

Sora jumped as the young goof shook his shoulder. Everyone was staring at him. Max Lockhart was a couple yards ahead of him up upon a hill that parted the horizons. It was dawn and the sun was rising with an orange tinge.

"Flashbacks?" Essentrice's deep voice rang behind him.

Sora let his arms drop to his sides and turned to look at the dire behind him, "Naturally."

"Lord Drake had flashbacks naturally. You truly are his heir." Khazan cut in next to his older brother, smiling a fanged grin.

Essentrice's face turned serious as Khazan's smile faltered, "It was from the castle wasn't it? The recent memories with your shadowed side you just saw."

Sora only nodded. Roxas next to him rubbed his head hard, as if some parasite were hidden within his golden locks, but the brunette decided to shrug it off. He continued to walk up the hill and stopped next to the violet haired female, looking off at the horizon that cradled the rising sun. It was a beautiful sight as Roxas appeared next to him and put an arm around his shoulders, slightly squeezing his side to his.

"Oh, what would the king say if he saw us now?" was the first thing the blond said the entire time since they woke up.

Sora gave him a toothy grin, his eyes twinkling, "Well, I'm thinking that he would be pissed enough to show us some colorful vocabulary."

Roxas and the two Maxes chuckled at this as the wolves just smiled, "Wow, it should be a once in a lifetime experience that would amuse us enough to die of laughter with colorful curses flowing from his high-pitched mouth. To think of it, I never would've expected the king to be a foul mouth."

"And unfortunately for us, what I did may have just possibly brought out a side of him we would never want to see again." The prince chuckled back.

The assassin grinned over at the pack she was leading and added, "I'd probably get a share of his wrath. The only reason I saved you all last night is because Mickey asked me to watch you guys. He assumed you could handle it but he said a little back up couldn't hurt. So yes, there is no coincidence in our meeting a few hours ago."

Sora and the others were too cheerful to take this by surprise and only laughed in reply. It seemed they were fortunate in allies, almost too fortunate. But Sora accepted all the help he could get, as long as when the end came, none of them were going down with him. He would make sure of it.

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done _

A steady but heavy beat of wings ceased their laughter as they looked overhead. They saw a small dot in the sky above them, ready to descend.

"Well everyone… You can now thank your real savior last night, otherwise, none of you would be here." K-Max introduced the shadow happily, looking up at the figure.

It took the others a moment before realizing that the figure was quickly getting larger in focused in view. It was diving toward them with so much force, a speeding bullet couldn't have beaten it. As it got closer without slowing down, the three boys beside her started to panic, looking at her with bizarre looks, but she just smiled wider. Then as the size finally got as large as the dires themselves and was only a few feet in front of them, it stopped dead and the skeleton reared with its wings showing their true span, making him seem larger than all the wolves put together. It flapped them for a steady land and dropped to the ground next to the assassin.

It was a skeleton-like figure of a cross between dragon and horse with 4 large gazelle horns (but 6 tines) and bat clawed wings. It had a horse's skull and a unique skeleton body with a thick layer of leathery transparent skin and a unicorn tale. It was a half-foot taller than Essentrice and a bit larger in build. It folded its large wings and looked down at them all with a proud stance. A silver brace hung around the base of its thick neck with a pattern of black jewels decorating it.

The boys slightly shivered at the plain sight of death, and after life were almost just as eye-wincing. K-Max patted the creature's neck affectionately as it lowered it's had a bit and curved its horse neck to look at her.

"Tenebrus Shydran. He is a rare species bred for a single purpose, to destroy the world of men. He was a gift from Hades and the only one of two who doesn't follow that one fatal instinct. And he has been my friend for many a year." She introduced, stroking his wing.

Roxas gathered his courage to take a step toward the two in front of him, observing the living-dead.

"A gift from Hades? The lord of the Underworld?" Roxas questioned, looking at them.

"Old friends. I'm neutral, not all of me is your ally." She answered simply.

The skeleton shot a warning look at him with fierce sight. It was easy to tell even though he had no eyes, only sockets.

"Aww… Tenebrus… Be friendly… All he wants is to greet you… Why don't you greet him too?" K-Max reassured.

Only Sincos noticed the quick wink the young woman gave to her partner. The wolf slowly smiled, her black eyes gleaming in the fresh sunlight. The creature looked at the poor boy and leaned back a bit, as if sucking in air for the moment. And then suddenly, he took a step toward the prince and shot his head out as his wings expanded to their full length, making him seem large once more. It roared with a high-pitched screeching sound combined with a low rumble, its nose a few inches from the teenager's face. Sora and Max stumbled backwards in fright as Roxas fell over from the sheer force of the 'greeting'. The wolves immediately started chuckling as the assassin started smiling like a psycho. A few moments after the boys started laughing hard as well as the woman helped the prince up. They agreed they were having quite a fun time for people who were really the cause for the universe fading into darkness.

As their laughter ended, the looked up to see the golden tinted skies that were once their ice blue. They wouldn't see a blue sky for a while now and already the land surrounding them was covered in dark mists. Sora looked at the sight with deep sorrow, a tear escaping to honor all that was once beautiful. Sweet lord let the darkness be merciful.

_For what I've done  
I start again  
And whatever pain may come  
Today this ends  
I'm forgiving what I've done  
_

Max rushed them onto Shydran's back, the wolve's taking on their aliases as Essentrice took the shape of large african american in black knight's armor similar to Sora's. All of them mounted the great creature as K-Max took the front and Roxas grabbed her shoulders as Sora did his and continued on. Shydran's shoulders bore long horns the supported the young woman's legs.

"Fly Tenebrus, show us the meaning of haste." She encouraged as the figure readied for take off, she looked back at them with a shadow of a smirk, "Brace yourself! And prepare for the effect of little air resistance!"

They all immediately understood her. Even though he had a thick layer of skin, Shydran's skeletal form allowed the air to sweep through his skin and split passed his titanium bones. The only air resistance up there would be them. And as they expected, the dragon took off with such a blast, the party nearly flew off if it weren't for Essentrice who gaurded the back and stopped them. Only Max was able to communicate with Tenebrus and see what was ahead as everyone else was blinded by the animal's amazing speed. And as if by magic, they slowed down as quickly as they started. They were steadily flying over the Bastion Canyons and making their way to the ridiculously large floating city of Edymaskoria, the large palace sheilding the front from unfriendly eyes.

They landed gracefully as the three boys fell off with little stablization from the flight. The three wolves and the assassin on the other hand, hopped off with little effect, though the dires were a bit whoozy from the sudden change in speed. The creature folded its wings contently, satisfied with showing them a _real_ flight for the first time in their lives.

K-Max looked up at the great building, "We'll stay here as we work things out. It should be the proper sanctuary for a prince."

The dires agreed with a chuckle before following after her in the palace as the three boys stayed behind in confusion.

"Okay…" was all Max could say as he stared after them.

Sora also cocked an eyebrow after them, "Really… I'm not sure if we should've taken that as a compliment…"

"Or an insult…" Roxas finished next to him, rubbing his chin.

"Or really anything at all…" Max added as he started walking and the two trailed behind.

_I'll face myself  
To cross out what I've become  
Erase myself  
And let go of what I've done_

Sora snuck a quick glance at the boy walking contently next to him. His heart shattered immediately as a flash of what he saw on Roxas' back greeted him. He blinked back a tear as he clenched his hands and ground his teeth, concentrating hard on staring ahead of them. Roxas didn't seem to notice fortunately as he straightened his checkered wrist band. He admitted he needed Roxas beside him, but how could he live with it after knowing what he had done? What he had become?

They entered the palace into an extremely large corridor and noticed the wolves took on their original form. Sora hurried ahead to stand beside the soldier he desperately needed to talk to as he let the jealous look from his partner go unnoticed. They looked up at the finely crafted walls of the castle as Khazan and Essentrice looked over at their sister and gently smiled.

"So, kept it in top shape have you?" Khazan asked for both of them even though Essentrice had noticed this before when he led Sora here for answers.

She only smiled as gently in return, her eyes twinkling, "Edymaskoria as our grand home is the single most important place to me. I would die before I witness her strong walls crumble."

"As would we Sin…" Essentrice said softly, looking up at the large stained glass picture of their father, a large pure black wolf with a blood red tail and scarlet eyes.

As the party continued down the corridor, Sora turned quickly into the shadows and waited for the Max he needed to speak to pass. Grabbing her shoulder and slapping a hand over her mouth so she didn't yelp in surprise, he pulled her into the shadows with him unnoticed. Letting her go, she slightly glared at him.

"Are you crazy!? Must you be so subtle!? she shot questions at him in half yells/half whispers as she glared.

"Shh! Listen! As soon as we settle what we're going to do, we need to leave as soon as possible, and as stealthily as possible. It can only be us, I won't risk the others for my mistake." Sora said immediately.

She looked to the wall next to them hastily with a nervous and uncertain expression for a second as she thought, then looked back at him with a small unsure smile, "Okay… I'm your mercenary. We leave at dusk when everyone falls asleep… Now come on before they realize we spontaneously went missing at the same time and think the worst of it."

As she walked out Sora blushed scarlet from her words that sent the mental image into his mind. What the blush honestly came from was that image quickly turning Max into Roxas being pinned against the wall. His mind repeatedly shouted pervert at him with annoyance.

Sora quickly caught up with Roxas as Max became deep in conversation with Max and Sincos and the other two dires led them through the castle. Roxas looked as if he didn't notice his sudden appearance and looked at the wall on his side. The brunette saw a gleam of sorrow in those pools and swung his arm around his friend's shoulders with a wide grin. Roxas couldn't help but return the charming grin.

The gleam of sorrow still stayed though for the horrible truth that came to him when a certain conversation was held between his friend and Essentrice.

Roxas had told Sora he loved him, and Sora had no memory of it…

_What I've done  
Forgiving what I've done_

* * *

**So... Did you like it so far? Even though this chapter was just a new character introduced? Don't worry, she will not take Sora from Roxas, otherwise I'd be mulled to death by you guys and a number of my friends. She was just an assassin assigned to help them because well... they're them... I'm trying hard not to make this all action and no romance, but believe me, it will come soon, I will make sure of it.**


	16. Ch15 I'm Sorry

_**Hey guys! Sorry about the wait. But yeah, we are nearing the end of the story. Sad huh? A lot of questions and answers will show up in this chapter. Enjoy!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sincos: She owns the elders but not the game...**

**Max Goof:Dude, what's the catch? I mean, shouldn't we just disclaim once and be done with it?**

**Sora: Hey, where'd my keyblade go?**

**Roxas: I'll tell you where it _can_ go!**

**Me: ROXAS!**

_**

* * *

**_

_**Chapter 15**_

_**I'm Sorry**_

_Sora's POV_

_I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house_

_That don't bother me._

_I can take a few tears now and then_

_And just let 'em out._

"I'll be here at dawn even though you'll barely tell. This was the last time we had a chance to see daylight, all you'll see is the golden evening now. Get some rest prince… You'll need it before the end."

At that, Max Lockhart took off from the balcony upon Tenebrus Shydran, her loyal guardian. Sora looked after her from his and Roxas' balcony since they were sharing a large bedroom and it was the closest to the main hall so it was rare that they would get lost. The other Max had a dorm across the hall from them as Essentrice, Sincos and Khazan lied in the gardens on guard but yet drifting to sleep slowly but surely.

Max and Sincos had informed the young prince that he had the power of darkness to do much well anything he wanted, so the assassin taught him how to vanish objects like his armor and replace it with his old uniform or the organization's. She also taught him that he could shoot flaming dark balls from his hands as well as black lightning. They taught Roxas the same thing as the others watched in amusement at their failed attempts. So basically, if they thought it and did the right movement for it, he would have it.

Sora had changed into what he thought comfortable as he looked up at the blond twilight. He looked down with a sigh at his organization pants and boots worn with his regular sleeveless blue/red shirt, silver crown pendant and fingerless gloves as he heard the bedroom door inside open and close quietly. He made a mental note to be careful not to touch the boy with his bare skin or the memories would sting his exhausted mind, or something worse.

As he thought, Roxas silently opened and closed the slide glass door and leaned on the stone railing next to the brunette, looking at the grounds below as he watched Essentrice take a drink of water from one of the large fountains in the yard. Neither of them said anything for a while as Sora remained staring at the dark mists right in front of their faces.

Finally, Roxas was the one who couldn't take the silence, "So… How do you think you're going to reverse this?"

A singe of pain streaked up Sora's arm, as if melting the skin, before he answered with a wince while ignoring it immensely, "I'm not sure… But I will."

Roxas chuckled at that, "Always the optimist…"

Sora looked over at him with an eyebrow raised and an accusing glare. Roxas just smirked wider as he noticed the action out of the corner of his eye. Throughout all of this, Roxas still found some way to mess with him.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing…" Sora indicted, narrowing his eyes with irritation.

Roxas' smirk only grew into a shining genuine smile as he laughed again, "That may be, but I never said it _was_. Optimism is good, I agree, in most cases. And in this one, I again agree, that this is the right time to have it."

A deep growl sounded in the back of the brunette's throat as he glared at the blond in frustration, "You're mocking me, aren't you…?"

"Fine… Let's change the subject more to your liking… How do you think Lulu's doing?" Roxas asked out of the blue, keeping his same smile as he looked off into the distance where you could just barely see the Bastion Canyons.

Sora turned his head to look at him with a questionable stare before answering, "I'm sure she's fine. She's a powerful person and saved us from near-death."

"Mhm… and the others?" Roxas inquired once more, finally looking up at him, "On the islands?"

Sora felt a sudden chill shoot down his spine and shivered slightly, "They should be fine…"

As Roxas saw the boy shudder at the question, a flicker of sorrow shined in his eye. He looked back down at the grounds, thinking about what happened in the World that Never Was. A single tear went down his cheek as he thought about Axel and how he didn't remember anything about the blond and refused to believe what Roxas tried to tell him. He could feel the scars burning on his back once more, reminding him that he most likely deserved it.

He jumped as he felt a soft touch on his face, turning to see Sora wiping the tear from his features and looking at him with concern.

A flash of himself staring with a smirk and dead eyes at Roxas. Roxas looking at the boy in disbelief, mouthing something Sora couldn't make out. Sora said something back as he rubbed his chin and Roxas returned it with a struggle to keep under control. Another flash and Sora watched as Roxas scooped the boy into his arms and kissed him.

'I love you' 

'_I know'_

"SORA!"

Sora opened his eyes to see himself kneeling on the ground, grinding his teeth, and clenching his temple. Roxas gently shook his shoulders from the vision and was kneeling in front of him. All this time Sora knew Roxas was hiding the same thing Sora was hiding from him and yet his lighter side was too naïve to get it off of both of their chests.

Sora tilted his head up to look at the boy with glistening eyes as he shook, "I knew… I knew before you told me and I tortured you for it. I tortured you! Had you whipped! Burned! I had known all along… And you paid the price that I owed…"

_I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while  
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me  
There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok  
But that's not what gets me_

Roxas just stared at him with cocked eyebrows as he attempted to understand what his best friend meant. He couldn't say much in return as Sora hugged him tightly, tears streaming down his face. Roxas rubbed his back as he stayed silent, piecing together what he said as he cursed softly at their shared naivety. Sora noticed the stress in the blond and touched the bottom of his neck where the burning scar started and flashes were sent into Roxas mind, showing him the memories.

When it was finished, Sora pulled back and looked at him with a tearstained face as Roxas was too shocked to say anything. The brunette just smiled and tilted his head as the blond looked at him with a blank stare.

"I love you…"

Roxas froze. Everything in his vision except Sora went black. Time stopped along with the beats of his heart as he couldn't breathe. He couldn't feel anything but Sora's soft hands caressing his shoulders. Finally, a smile cracked open on his face. It was so wide his cheeks started to hurt. His eyes twinkled brightly as he looked at Sora's smiling face.

"I know…"

And right then and there, Sora lunged onto him, his arms around his neck and his lips massaging his other's as they smiled. Roxas wrapped his arms around the boy's lower back and massaged back, a tear of joy streaming down his face as he saw the same tear from Sora.

As they parted after a couple of a dozen seconds, Sora twisted in way so that they were sitting next to each other with Roxas kneeling and Sora in an Indian style of sitting. The brunette leaned back onto his palms and sigh with a small smile. Roxas mimicked his smile as he leaned over and hugged Sora's middle in a position most people would think uncomfortable.

"Funny… We've both known the other knew and neither of us would do the other the favor of getting it off their chest." Sora chuckled, rubbing the blond's shoulder.

Roxas chuckled in return, his head resting on the other's side under the arm, "Well, technically I did."

That earned him a slap on the shoulder his friend was once rubbing and a playful glare, "Shutup… You're not making me feel any better about what I did…"

"…Ow… You know that actually hurt and you weren't even trying…" Roxas half whined, half laughed as he rubbed the oncoming bruise.

"Good… Let's me know that I can kick your ass easily when I want to…" Sora answered with a smirk as Roxas glared up at him.

"That's it, I don't like you anymore… I'm replacing you with Max cause he's cooler and fights with a skateboard instead of going on and running around while whacking people with giant keys." Roxas muttered as he stared off into the distance and continued hugging the prince.

"Then why are you still holding me like I'll fly away any second?" the brunette questioned, looking down at the blond as he stroked his golden locks.

"Because I don't feel like getting up…" the prince answered, nuzzling his face into Sora's side like a puppy.

Sora nudged the blond's back with his elbow, rolling his eyes, "Get up… We need to go to bed and get some rest before tomorrow…"

"Fine… If you didn't want me here all you had to do was say 'I'll get you ice cream in the morning if you leave' but no… I'm not worth that much am I?" Roxas stated getting up as he crossed his arms and glared.

Sora laughed again as he watched Roxas walk inside and slam the glass door, pretending to be irritated. This would probably be the last time he and Roxas ever saw each other and he wanted to make the most of it. He hugged himself as a sudden chill traveled into his body, telling him to be grateful for the luck it said he didn't deserve. Finally, he walked inside and locked the glass door so intruders would have a hard time getting in quietly.

_What hurts the most  
Was being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away_

* * *

Sora woke up to the soft breathing on his face. He focused to see Roxas in front of him, in the exact same position they were in in Sprite City except this time, Sora didn't have to feel embarrassed. Roxas was smiling softly in his sleep as the brunette returned it. Leaning forward, he lightly kissed the blond's temple and leaned back with glazed eyes as the receiver nuzzled closer to him.

"Ya'll are cute…"

Sora jumped at the sounding of a feminine English voice and sat up out of Roxas' embrace to see Max leaning against the wall with her arms folded and a smirk on her face. Either Roxas completely passed out last night or he was really just a deep sleeper cause Sora's jump shook the whole bed fiercely.

"What are yo-… How did you get in here?!" Sora yelped in a whisper as he glanced at the untainted and locked glass door to his left.

She smirked widely as she straightened her stance and soundlessly opened the door out of the bedroom, "I'm an assassin, prince… It's what I do…"

Sora stepped out of the bed cautiously, giving her a slight glare as he approached her. She cocked an eyebrow at him, blocking his way to the door as he stopped.

"We're heading out to the garden… And I'm sure I don't think you're planning to walk around outside half naked…" she answered his unasked question as she folded her arms with a grin.

Sora suddenly felt the cold in the room touch his bare chest as he looked down to see himself shirtless in front of the woman. Blushing furiously, he swore under his breath as he found his shirt on the chair next to the bed and remembered how Roxas passionately kissed and bit his neck last night while he turned a darker shade of scarlet.

Storming passed her, she heard him mutter something about 'Assassins giving no respect to people's privacy and knowing how to get them to turn red before noon'. She chuckled at his misfortune and quickly but with a relaxed body followed him to the grounds.

_And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was tryin' to do_

"So… did you find anything?" he asked, the last bit of red leaving his cheeks as they walked around the court yard.

"Actually yes… But it won't be easy…" she replied and for once, a bit of sadness flickered into her eyes, "But first… You should know…"

"What? With all we've been through, I'm sure I can handle more bad news." Sora chuckled as he patted her shoulder.

"Gishnuruk… He's old… I mean… Really old… He is 27,000 years old, 22,000 years older then Essentrice, Khazan or Sincos. When Drake was born, he may have been the son of Lord Saxor's seed, but he was the son of Gishnuruk's _soul_." Max explained, leading him in a circle around the fountain.

"Okay… So does that mean like I'm his septuplet grandson?!" Sora questioned incredulously as he stared at her with furrowed eyebrows.

She looked even more uncomfortable than she was five seconds ago as she replied nervously, "Actually… no. As you should already know, you're a reincarnation of Drake, making you not exactly his heir but also not exactly not his heir. And really a reincarnation of Drake who was the son of Gishnuruk's soul would make you Sora, the present son of the sadist's soul. So technically, the dark lord his your father."

Sora stopped dead beside her, staring straight ahead in disbelief. Max, who seemed to be expecting this, stopped beside him immediately and looked around paranoid. He winced as he turned his head to see her clearly and believe she wasn't lying.

"M-My father?" the brunette asked her disbelievingly, flinching a bit.

She nodded, obviously aware of the disturbance in the air around the pair. She looked away quickly as she prepared herself to explain more but took time not to choke on the words. She blinked as her voice cracked a bit.

"And Sora? You should know, the only way to reverse this…" she continued, struggling to keep steady.

He looked down at her, not sure if he wanted to hear more as he thought about his father that had left him when he was three while he still lived peacefully on Destiny Islands. The blurred face of a handsome man with light brown hair like his own and a delicately curved bone structure faded into his mind. The figure was leaving out the front door as a woman cried in distress on a table to the right and the bearer of the sight ran helplessly after the man, crying severely. Breaking down as the door closed, he saw a small white haired boy from the corner of his eyes that held him tight as he cried.

"Yeah?"

She remained looking away, as if expecting him to pierce her with a haunted stare, "You have to kill him."

_Roxas' POV_

_It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go  
But I'm doin' It  
It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone  
Still Harder_

* * *

"Damn it, Max! I thought you always had your skateboard!" Roxas cursed, glaring back at him as he ran out onto the grounds.

"I'm sorry… One minute it was there and then it as gone! It just vanished!" Max yelled after the blond as he trailed behind down the front stairs.

"Yeah that's typical…" the prince answered spitefully.

"What are you kids yelling about now?!" Khazan groaned, looking up drowsily from his afternoon nap.

Roxas stopped in front of the wolf as Max skidded to a stop beside him, "Skippy here lost his skateboard so I can't go through the city quickly without asking you guys to take me."

Max glared at him as he corrected, "I _haven't_ lost _anything_. My board just disappeared."

"Okay… Why do you need to search the city quickly again?" Sincos yawned as she lied on the stone curve of the large fountain; elevated beside her brother.

Roxas turned to her quickly, huffing a bit, "Sora's gone."

* * *

_Sora's POV_

_Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret  
But I know if I could do it over  
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart  
That I left unspoken_

"So… You can fight… You can sneak… And now, you have skills with a skateboard?" Sora asked, looking at the assassin as they conversed behind the castle.

"Actually no… You are going to be the one riding the skateboard as I'll be the passenger." Max said with amusement.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "What? I don't even know where we're going!"

She smirked in return with a smug expression, "That's why I'm going to tell you while you're blind folded…"

This made him do a double take, "Eh!? You're kidding… Right?"

"Nope… Since we're in this together, we need to learn how to trust each other. I already trust you, so let's see if you trust me." She replied as she fought to keep a straight face.

"But I already trust you!"

She cocked an eyebrow at the brunette as she tilted her head to look at him disbelievingly. He fidgeted under her stare and looked around nervously.

"Okay… Fine…"

Getting on the skateboard that Max had miraculously acquired from the other Max, Sora looked at the soldier timidly. She just smiled back as she took a long navy strip of cloth from her belt pouch. Tying it around his head so all he saw was dark blue, she got on the skateboard behind him and held onto his shoulders.

"Ready?"

He looked ahead as if it would help and lied, "As I'll ever be…"

Chuckling, she nudged him to go as he kicked off quickly down the street of the ghost town. It was dead silent as they cruised passed alleyways and uniquely built architecture. As a junction neared, Max leaned forward to tell him the instructions.

"On my count, turn the board dead left." She murmured softly.

"One… Two… Now!"

He obliged immediately as they trudged on down the next street, narrowly hitting a pole that he had taken no notice off. He heard her make a silent gasp as he whirled around but tried to ignore it to keep steady.

"Now get ready for a slanted curve to the right on the count of three." She continued, regaining her senses.

"One… Two… Three!"

He calmly leaned to the right and relaxed even more when there was no impact. They sailed on gently, everything almost too quiet.

"Okay… there's a ramp ahead… Get ready…"

"WHAT?!"

_What hurts the most  
Is being so close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away_

"Shutup and brace yourself or else we're aren't going to be alive anymore. We're going to jump over a gap and that'll be it. But be ready, it's steep and the gap is 20 feet wide." She informed again.

Sora involuntarily shook from the thought of falling into the unknown. He gained speed as they continued on, trying with all his might to trust her. Finally, as they picked up quite a lot of speed, he felt himself leaning slightly backwards and into her as she prevented him from falling off. Steeper and steeper it started to feel as it became harder to remain on their top speed. Finally, there was a hop and he felt weightless all of a sudden and bit back a yell of panic. She had made the board hop so they didn't fall but it didn't make him feel any better. It felt like half an hour before they hit the ground again. He tumbled forward from the sudden impact as Max calmly trotted off, chuckling at the sight and unmasking him.

He got up and looked to see that they were in front of a very, _very_ large door to castle that stood high and the top vanished into the dark clouding. The castle was built of black stone and the doors were metal and chained shut.

"What unholy place is this?!" Sora asked with panic, backing away.

"This prince… Is Velshnair Sadi… Gishnuruk's fortress… Where Drake was born…" Max explained, rubbing her hands together.

"Great… So… what you mean is… Gishnuruk's in there… right now?" the brunette questioned, looking at her anxiously.

She sighed as she looked at him to answer, "Yes… He's in there…"

"Good. We can finish it then." Sora growled, making his way to the door before a hand prevented him from doing so.

"No… Not yet. You go in there now and you're as good as dead. He plays with his prey Sora… He won't think of you any less different." Max exclaimed once more, shaking her head, "We need to go back. We need to at least tell Essentrice, Khazan and Sin… They deserve to know… That was the reason they were born, to protect you. If you fight him now, they'll die without their honor."

Sora took a deep breath. He didn't want anyone to waste their life on his behalf, especially in a battle between him and his so-called _father_. But he wouldn't do that to them if it was their entire life's ambition. He would allow them to help, but not Roxas. He was the only one he wouldn't allow to give his life for his own.

_And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do_

* * *

"I see… Well, since the prophecy has already been fulfilled, I guess it won't matter if your nobody fights or not…" Essentrice acknowledged solemnly, looking down at the two, "I hope you have given Master Max's skateboard back."

"Yes, we have… He kind of wigged out on us though for stealing it…" Sora chuckled, edging a glance at the soldier beside him.

"And we understand that Roxas yet does not know that you have come back." Sincos added beside her brothers, looking at them almost disapprovingly.

"…Yes…" Max answered for the both of them, glancing uncertainly as the prince who looked down sadly.

"I have no choice… I wouldn't let anyone die for me… But you all were born to protect me, and I couldn't keep you from that…" Sora explained monotonously.

"Well… There's no point in just standing here now is there? We've reached a decision, have we not?" Khazan cut in eagerly, looking in the direction of the out-of-sight castle of the dark lord's.

"What about Lord Max? We'll he come?" Sincos asked with her ears perked up.

Sora was about to answer before Max cut him off, "No… I need to talk to him… He'll stay with Roxas…"

* * *

_Roxas' POV_

_What hurts the most  
Is being so damn close  
And having so much to say  
And watching you walk away_

Max rode through the castle, happy to have his skateboard back after it had been stolen from his so-called, 'companions'. He rode it up the stairs and down the corridors just for the heck of it. Suddenly, he heard a conversation just ahead on a balcony to his left. Silently slowing to a stop, he picked up his skateboard and cautiously glanced around the corner to see two unwelcome guests.

"-now you're just being irrational."

"And when have you ever been rational Axel?"

Larxene shot daggers at him with her emerald eyes. Axel leant haughtily on the railing behind him as he glared in return. They were still in Organization XIII cloaks. Axel was snapping his fingers so to light a flame and then it would go out again and he repeated the movement.

"Why did it have to be _me_ you dragged along for this?" he protested hotly.

"Because whether you like it or not, what Roxas said to you in that chamber was true… You're just too much of a bastard to see it…" she replied just as furiously.

"Well, what good are those memories when you can't even remember them?!" he said as he balled his fist in flame.

She crossed her arms as she said, "And since when have you remembered _anything_ about the Organization since you got back?"

"Shutup… Don't remind me…" he mumbled, looking away from her as his flame crackled higher.

And that was when there was nothing more to hear. Max had turned and quickly made a silent escape in the opposite direction. He ran down the stairs only to ram into the girl that shared his name as they tumbled down the stairs. Both getting up and brushing themselves off, Max looked around hurriedly.

"Max! (_Wow, that sounds weird_) Two organization people are here! The blonde psycho chick and that pyromaniac guy! They're planning something!" Max exclaimed frantically as he grabbed his hair so it made him look deranged.

The other Max backed away for the moment, "You mean, Larxene and Axel? Weird… I wouldn't have expected the Organization to come back this early…"

The Goof's eyes were uneven as he stared at her, "WhAt?!"

"I'm thinking they might be trying to penetrate the castle already, but my intuition tells me they're not… But then again… Anyway! Max, me and the elders are leaving… We need you to make sure Roxas doesn't see us and doesn't notice we've even came back. Can you do that?" she asked him intently with a fixed look.

"Yeah… Wait, WhAt?! Why are you leaving!?" Max yelled, looking even more deranged.

"Because the prince asked us to. And no matter what, he won't let Roxas fight… Make sure of that Max. And I'm pretty sure you and him can take care of Axel and Larxene if you get into a squabble." the assassin informed, turning to leave.

The Goof just stared after her as if she we're crazy, though it would be hard to tell if she were standing next to him. But he understood his mission nonetheless as she strode out of sight. Max slowly mounted his skateboard and rode into the castle.

The assassin kept walking with her head hung, pacing quickly. It wasn't until she bumped into him that she saw that Roxas was doing the same thing toward the opposite direction. She jumped back, looking at him as if he were the one deranged while he just stared at her with raised eyebrows.

"Roxas!" Max yelped, staring bug-eyed at him.

"Max?" he questioningly greeted in return, looking at her strangely.

She bit her lip, looking paranoid as he froze her with his piercing gaze.

"Where's Sora? You left with him right?" the blond asked, looking behind her as if Sora was hiding there.

"Err…"

"Okay, if he died, I swear-"

"Relax, he didn't die… yet…"

"What?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"Bugger…"

_And never knowing  
What could have been  
And not seeing that loving you  
Is what I was trying to do_

He stared at her, his expression clearly saying that he wanted a straight out answer about what was going on. She felt small for the first time in her life as he towered over her.

"Okay, okay… But you must swear to me that you won't tell the prince anything that I even told you this…" she said with a sigh.

"Fine… I swear… Now what is going on!?" he questioned, almost glaring at her.

She sighed even more heavily as she looked up at him, "Where we left this morning, I took Sora to Velshnair Sadi, a dark palace that holds Gishnuruk. I convinced him to come back here and at least let the elders help him fight, but the one person he refuses to let die for him is you."

Roxas just stared at her for a moment, "What!? So I'm going to just be left behind on my own?!"

"No… I've asked Max to stay behind. Axel and Larxene have snuck into the castle unnoticed, you can figure out what they're up to." She explained sheepishly, shrugging with a nervous smile.

"Ha… Nice try… He's not leaving me behind!" Roxas yelled, starting to turn before she stopped him to face her.

"You swore Prince!" she argued angrily, glaring at him now.

He glared in return, "And he swore to me that he wouldn't leave me again!"

"Wait!" she yelled, making him freeze as he turned to stare at her.

"What?"

"Give us an hour head start… At least give him the idea that it took you till after we left to figure we had gone. Take Tenebrus, he knows where it is. And Roxas?" she trailed off, gazing at him solemnly as he stared at her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry…"

The teen suddenly felt eight sharp pains in his chest from the front and the back as he gasped. He shivered as he slowly looked to see that Tenebrus Shydran had bitten him from behind and pierced his heart. He could feel the fangs emitting some kind of venom into his body, spreading throughout his system. He looked back at the assassin, trying to focus over the pain. She was looking away gravely, closing her eyes as she breathed heavily.

Roxas finally fell over, unable to make out anything but black.

_Not seeing that loving you  
That's what I was trying to do_

_

* * *

**So, are ya'll satisfied for another week? Or are you angry? Tell me in your reviews o'course! Sorry again, it was that focused on the Sora/Roxas relationship. Hope you enjoyed it, even though I held it off for... two weeks or so...**_


	17. Ch16 This is Real

_**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long to update... I don't know how people with multiple stories do it, you know? But anyway, Chapter 16 has only part's of the song in it so it's cut short. Welcome to the people who wanted less song, sorry for the people who wanted a longer chapter. Thankfully (for everyone) the next chapter has no song base and it's going to be a long one. And really, I wasn't kidding when I said this story was about to end. But hang on, there may, just may, be a sequel to it! HAHA!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Roxas:I still can't see why we're gay...**

**Sora: So... He admits it! He's not attracted to me!**

**Roxas:Hey I never said that! Oh and, by the way, she doesn't own the characters from Square Enix or Disney.**

* * *

**_Chapter 16_**

_**This is Real**_

_Roxas POV_

_I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard  
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see  
these scars_

Roxas fluttered his eyes open, remembering nothing but his identity. He slowly sat up to see that he was in a luxuriously comforted bedroom that was vaguely familiar. He could feel a pressure at the foot of his bed, just below his feet, and only shortly after he realized that, he could feel armor covering his entire body up to his neck. His vision clearing, he could see a figure sitting on the edge of his bed dressed in black, a figure sitting in the seat next to him in red, and another leaning against the wall to his right. Blinking vigorously, he saw the figure in red was Max with his skateboard, the person on the end of his bed was Larxene, and the guy leaning against the wall, reluctantly it seems, was Axel. Jumping at the sight of them, he almost forgot who they were.

"So… You're alive then?" Max greeted, yawning as he examined his skateboard.

Larxene smiled arrogantly at the blond beside her, "Finally! I was beginning to think you _were_ dead!"

Roxas looked at her as if she had grown a separate head, "What are you two doing here? You got Kingdom Hearts! What do you need me for now?"

"When we were there in the World that Never Was… And Larxene was taking us to the dungeon, she had told us she was on our side. I'm not sure if we can trust her, but I'll let you judge…" Max started before anyone else could talk.

"Wha…? Larxene? I probably would expect Demyx, but you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah? I talked to Sora earlier that day. Seems you and Axel had the same conversation, so I was convinced that what you two said was true. Now that we have hearts, why waste them?" she replied shrugging with a very rare good-natured smile.

Roxas slowly turned to Axel, looking at him nervously and almost too afraid to address him. Axel didn't seem the least bit happy to be there; in fact he was glaring at everything he laid his emerald eyes on. He quickly snapped back to looking at his female comrade with bemusement, slowly pulling the covers off him to reveal his dark-green armor.

"Who are you and what have you done with Larxene?" Roxas asked quickly as he shifted to get off.

"Yeah, seriously…"

_I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel  
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe  
this is real_

This was the first thing Axel had said the entire time, although, still glaring at everything. He also was bewildered about number 12's sudden turn in personality; it almost scared them. The last time she wore a smile like that, Saix was the one that paid for it: hence the reason he had a large 'X' etched onto his face.

"Well… Sudden turn in life… We aren't dead anymore… I'd think you'd be happy too, pyro." She answered simply with another shrug.

Roxas stood up and backed away from her slowly, partially hiding behind Max in the process who just raised an eyebrow. The blond was sure that she was about to eat somebody but she just smiled cheerfully (_and suspiciously_ Roxas thought) back.

"So," Axel had stood up straighter and started walking toward the middle of the room, Roxas, however, slunk behind Max even farther, "Are we just going to sit here and talk about it or are we going to go help his boyfriend?"

Roxas felt his face burn at the comment and immediately stood up straighter, "He's not my boyfriend!"

Axel snickered at this, "Says the boy who ran up and kissed him in front of just about everybody."

The blond almost felt steam blow from his face as he reddened further when Larxene and even Max joined in with a laugh. Roxas turned to glare daggers at him, which made him cease immediately and laugh nervously.

"Look! Let's just go, we're wasting time! And Axel, I'm sorry if I offended you back there in the castle but-" he was cut off as the redhead raised his hand.

"You shouldn't apologize. Larxene told me, well, rather forced me really, that all you were saying was true. And I'm sorry. I guess I lost half my memory after all; welcome back partner." He greeted with outstretched arms as Roxas hugged him.

Max and Larxene watched for two seconds before the skater jumped up in a hurry, "Okay! Too much love! Let's go! The Prince is waiting for his knight in shining armor and seeing how it is, I'm assuming it's you! Now let's go before he dies on us!"

After breaking them apart, they sprinted down the stairs in a rush, running out onto the gardens. It had stopped snowing and the yard's grass was now covered in misty dew while the air carried the dark steady mists of the new world. Tenebrus was lying near the now-unfrozen fountain, lifting his head up at the sound of footsteps. Something silver and black was on the grass beside him. Roxas squinted to get a clearer look.

It was a keyblade with a jagged shape and a type of checkerboard marking. Its blade resembled a cross like his shirt zipper and the silver cross that now lay on his chest. Etched into it was his name and a note lied next to that. Picking both up, he read the note that was scribbled on hurriedly.

_I'm sorry about this. But hurry._

_Love, Max_

_So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got_

Silently thanking the woman under his breath, he did a slight bow to Shydran as the beast stood up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Axel flinch and smiled to himself.

"Get on! Tenebrus knows where the castle is. Velshnair Sadi I think it's called!" he called, mounting him in the front as the others climbed onto the back.

The creature reared as they got on, restless to get into the air even though it would only last a few seconds really. He patiently waited until the group was ready, walking to the side of the castle to get a good head start.

"Axel, Larxene. You better put your hoods up!" Roxas called back to them as they obliged. He grabbed Max's shoulder behind him as dark matter seeped from beneath his fingers. Max looked at him as if he were demented but the blond gave him a reassuring grin as the ebony swirls encased his friend.

Max was now in an Organization cloak as well with his hood up. Roxas nodded in approval before turning and sitting still as the power swirled around his head as well, forming a full masked helmet that hid his face completely except his mouth and chin with a shaded glass shield. Patting the creature under them bracingly, Shydran immediately leapt into the air and sped faster than a bullet over Edymaskoria. After a minute or so, they landed so lightly, Axel and Max immediately slipped off as Larxene shortly followed. Roxas, on the other hand, dropped to the ground with little effect as the other three got up with a shiver and brushed themselves off.

"Well… That was pleasant…" Larxene stated sarcastically, still shivering quite a bit.

"Now I see why people fear flying…" Axel added warily behind her, shaking the thought off with dread.

Roxas exchanged a laugh with the creature next to him at their reactions and lead them to the larger-than-necessary double-doors that marked the entrance of Velshnair. This castle was twice the size of the dire's (who he still had yet to know the name of) which was hard to believe. The lair's top was well hidden in the clouds and its walls expanded for at least a quarter of a mile. Roxas tapped the front doors with his new keyblade wearily. He scowled when nothing happened.

"It's no use… They're locked tight. And I don't think these doors will open to a keyblade, no matter what power it has." Roxas assumed, turning to them with a frown, though they couldn't see it.

He looked at them for help, something that might give him a tip. Shydran was the one that noticed the window in a small tower on the doors right. Hovering them up there, the behemoth chose to find another way to get in. They had no problem getting in through the window, what froze them was the fact that there were three paths leading from the room they had come into, and Tenebrus had already left to find a wider way inside.

"Okay… I guess we'll have to split up." Max observed, turning to raise an eyebrow under his hood.

"Right." Roxas answered with a nod, "Larxene? Axel? You take the right. Max, you take the middle. I'll take the left. Either way, I think we'll all wind up in the same place anyway. Meet you guys later."

And with that, they tore apart, each on their own path. It wasn't long till Roxas reached a large set of stairs leading down somewhere he couldn't quite see. Taking a deep breath, he cursed Sora for leaving and trotted down.

* * *

_I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal this damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

A presence stirred behind him as he was about to open the final door that separated him, Max and the Sadist. Sora glanced behind him to see a green armored figure like himself with a helmet. He felt safe for his hood being up in the moment. Max and the elders had gone ahead to wait for him and scout out any traps and such so he had a clear way through. And now that he noticed, he started to think it wasn't a good idea to stay behind. Sora observed him from the corner of his eye. Only the mouth was showing under the helm; he also had a cape and a wonky cross across his chest.

'_Probably the Sadist's idea of a gift. How thoughtful… Look's like some assassin or soldier or something…' _he thought quickly.

Facing directly at the large doors once more, he commanded the darkness to swim up his neck and around his face, forming an armored mask that all but covered his hair, which was hidden easily under the hood anyway. Rain had begun to penetrate the courtyard in the middle of the fortress and the mists grew thicker and darker. Turning around, he clearly faced the intruder and slowly began to walk toward him. The soldier mimicked him at the same pace, holding no expression on his lips. What was this, a doppelganger? Sora continued, a little frustrated, and stopped when they were only a foot apart. He didn't have time for this! Thinking quickly, he figured it was best to settle it now before Max burst outside looking for him.

He shot out his right arm without warning and grabbed the intruder's neck in one swift movement. The soldier clenched its fists as well, grinding its teeth as Sora slowly raised it up in the air. He didn't feel like showing anyone any mercy at the moment, (which is really unlike the Sora we know) and glared at the supposed assassin. The figure glared back as he stopped flinching. By this time the rain was falling hard against their armor, making a loud 'clanging' sound in the dripping silence between them as the man called what looked like a large silver checkerboard keyblade at his side. Sora didn't have time to focus through the mist and see the figure strike his legs as he nearly fell over.

Swearing under his breath, he called upon the keyblade that Max had presented him just before they left. Decorated with a dragon wing and head with heartless colors, the key shone brightly as if the dark mists added to its power.

'_So… A keyblade? Some sick joke huh?'_

_Sora POV_

_I am a little bit insecure a little unconfident  
Cause you don't understand I do what I can but sometimes I don't make  
sense_

Sora just wasn't in the mood as they began to fight. The soldier wasn't bad and the brunette noticed how they were (on average) equally matched. He could tell the man was fighting with the same burning rage as he was at the moment, as the rain didn't even bare the power of being a player in the battle. His hood had finally swept back and he knew he was sopping wet. It was freezing as they fought; the wind only making it even more unbearable. Ten minutes have gone by and he was breathing heavily by now. Thankfully, the green soldier couldn't see the expression filled with pain under the mask. He wondered how Roxas was… What he was doing right about now as he fought the stranger.

Finally hitting the prowler's side and causing him to double over, Sora took a deep breath before he would make the finishing blow. He was tired of people following him everywhere. Tired of constantly having heavy enemies and watchers and never being able to enjoy his childhood was a regular kid. He hated the fact that he was chosen by the keyblade and tore him away from his island. But all the friends he made all over the worlds seem to be payment enough for that anyway. All these things caused him to hesitate the deathblow as he thought of Roxas once more. Big mistake…

_I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt  
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear  
me out_

The felon noticing the one moment of what seemed to be mercy, jumped up and stroked a fatal blow to the prince's chest and had him flying against the doors he tried to get in. The wind knocked out of him, he could barely breathe or move as he shuddered against the cold and the rain. He could see the assassin slowly approach him through the mist and rain to serve, what he guessed, the finishing blow. Sora shut it eyes gently, waiting for the end because he knew he was too weak at the moment to fight back. All the worlds would be lost because of his weaknesses.

But the strike never came. The boy opened his eyes to see the figure leaning before him, slowly about to take off the brunette's mask. He gasped as the ice rain pattered onto his face and the wind whistled around the pair. Sora noticed he had dropped his blade when he was blown backwards, but looking down, he noticed the figure did too. What the heck was going on?!

Looking up into the face once more, the man was taking his own helm off now. Sora couldn't believe his eyes.

_So I let go watching you turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got_

"Roxas?" he breathed as the natural swirl of golden hair bounced as the mask slid off.

The blond smirked in return as the rain struck and the wind howled around them, "Yeah?"

Sora threw himself on the teen as soon as he finished the word. The boy he was so sure he had left behind for good was here in his arms now, fighting his way to be with him till the end. Sora could just barely keep himself from crying.

"Damn you! You stupid git! Damn you!" he yelled as he pounded the boy's shoulder in rage even though he was still hugging him.

"Is that the kind of greeting I get after coming after you?" Roxas asked as he pulled himself away.

"But-How did you kno-"

"Max tipped me off. It seems she actually feels pity. I think there's something she and the elders know that we don't." he interrupted as he helped himself and him up into the mists.

"HA! Don't they always?" he asked in return with a 'tad bit' of frustration.

Roxas smirked once more before turning to the double doors and sighing, "You ready for this?"

"Am I ever?" was all Sora could say as he picked up his mask that Roxas had thrown aside.

Roxas only smiled as he looked at the ground. Sora was busy shining his mask or at least, he was doing _something_ to it. They were in this together, no matter what happened. The weather seemed to be agreeing with them as the first flash of lightning sighted a couple miles away. He hoped the other three would be there in time for the fight. Or maybe they were already there… Wherever they were, he hoped they were safe.

"So Rox… You ready?" the brunette repeated the question, turning his head to look at his nobody.

The goofy grin returned on the blond's face as he turned to the teenager, "With you? Always…"

Turning Sora to face him directly, he pecked him on the lips for the moment before putting the boy's hood back on his still-not-flat-miraculously cinnamon hair and then setting his helmet on his own head quickly. Sora smiled in return from the sudden gift before slipping the shield mask back on and turning back to the entrance to the main room of the stronghold. Max and the elders were most likely waiting behind the Sadist's back by now.

Taking a deep breath, they both pushed the doors open to reveal the gloomiest and most haunting hall they had ever seen.

_I can't feel, the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal, this damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored_

* * *

**_So... Like it? My 5 paged chapter? Anyway... Don't expect the next one soon... Sorry... Have to work on Highschool Hell... I'm switching back and forth, but I'll be working on the next chap too, it just will come a bit later... Anyway, review please! So I have the luxury to know if you hate it so far or not!_**


	18. Ch17 Final Conflict

_**The title says it all! And no, this isn't the last chapter. Of course it's not! But hey, we're getting close! Two of the reasons I've kept this story going was because of all of those who have ever reviewed on my story! Thank you guys very much for your support! And my second reason is because of "Cedarleaf". She has been my inspiration for both my SoRox stories and has given me a vague idea for my other story. Seriously, go check her stories out! They overly exceed mine!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sora: OH KAY! I REFUSE TO DO THIS ANY LONGER!**

**Roxas: Took you long enough!**

**Sora: 'glares' Shutup!**

**Max Goof: Both of you shut it!**

**Me: I R Not Owning Square Enix Persons!**

_

* * *

_

_**Chapter 17**_

_**Final Conflict**_

"It's been two hours… Where the hell are they?!" Max asked in a hoarse whisper with frustration.

She shifted on her wooden beam next to the elders as they looked down upon the throne room that could be easily mistaken as a hall. They balanced neatly on the thin beams without effort, but the wait was tiring their legs and backs.

"There they are…" Sincos pointed out as soon as two armored feet walked through the main door, "So much for being stealthy…"

"_Father_ come out!" they heard Sora yell from below, slowly walking next to the large black thrown with an extremely large cushion fit for an small audience laying behind it.

"Where's Max? I thought he was supposed to be with them…" Khazan asked though with less concern than he wanted.

"Er… It doesn't matter! Come on… Brace yourselves…" Essentrice ordered quickly, taking a form that obviously said he was reading to spring at any moment.

Meanwhile, down there, Sora and Roxas paced impatiently; really hoping to see the elders and everybody else here already. This castle was _huge_, how were they supposed to find Nuruk in this? It was then they were a loud footstep of a great metal boot. Then another and another… As they listened with frozen forms, they looked up to see a large man encased entirely of steel. His armor was entirely different than theirs but had the same type of cape. There were very small eyeholes in his mask, though there was no life that glinted to mark they were actually there. The duo looked up in horror but determination; they were supposed to fight _that_?

"Gishnuruk…" they both breathed in a silent whisper.

Sora assumed the figure opened his mouth to speak under the helmet (where that didn't even seem to muffle his voice) and shivered, "_Drake… It has been an age…_"

"Yes… Too long…" the brunette answered without warning, knowing that was definitely not him speaking.

"_How are you my son?_" it asked in such a raspy deep voice, Sora nearly dropped his keyblade and winced.

"I'm not sure… Frustrated… Loathing… Spiteful… Take your pick… Any of those will work." He answered ruthlessly, this time in his voice.

The man laughed emptily at this with his own deep spiteful voice, "_You truly are my son…_"

"Yeah, took you a while to figure out that!" he yelled furiously back as Roxas stood behind him, still staring bug-eyed at the giant.

"_Don't wise off to me boy! You'll regret it_…" the man threatened though in a very calm voice.

"Then bring it on! Come kill me! Smite me already!" Sora continued with an angrier but a bit more taunting sort of voice.

"_Careful what you wish for…_" the figure said acidly (which Sora couldn't suppress a shiver) as he raised his hand and blue and black flames encased it enough to make his limb tremble, "_It might just come true!_"

As soon as he finished the sentence, he shot the flaming hand at his son and an electrical fireball shot out immediately. It grew in size as it headed for its targets but they jumped out of the way just as it was a foot from their faces where they could already feel the heat. As soon as it hit the ground, a crater formed in the solid stone floor where Sora and Roxas now lay. They froze as the impact shook the ground beneath them. And then suddenly, two feet dropped down in front of Roxas' face. He felt gentle arms helping him up and looked to see the assassin smiling at him. Sora was being helped up by Khazan as Sincos and Essentrice growled at the figure next to the large throne.

"Took you all long enough… What? You wanted to wait until we almost got obliterated?" Sora asked with frustration but gratefulness.

Essentrice almost smiled, "Something like that…"

"_Ahh… What a reunion… My sons have invited my assassins along with my old apprentice…_" Gishnuruk stated as one could just _feel_ him smile under the mask.

Essentrice's glare grew deeper, "_I was never your apprentice…_"

"_Not to be rude… But you were not who I was referring to…_" the villain almost interrupted.

Everyone stared at this… But sudden flashbacks filled Essentrice's mind and he turned his head toward Max with his epiphany. She shifted sheepishly, suddenly interested with her boots. The others followed his gaze.

"Now you know why the King had to beg me to come…" was all she said except for, "I'm sorry…"

Sora couldn't believe it… Not even Essentrice knew about this… He suddenly felt angrier and guiltier; he glared at her unintentionally when she back away into the shadows and looked up at the almost-titan before him. He didn't hate this being anymore; he completely and utterly _loathed _him. This _thing_ was the cause of Sora showing his true side, which he made sure he kept concealed for the last two to three years, was the cause of Roxas being crucially whipped and burned on his own orders, and was the reason he never had a normal life. But now, almost everything he knew was a lie, and he would die fighting to get his revenge.

Jutting his dominant arm out to summon Malevolence Tenebrous (the keyblade he had obtained from Max) and his other to call upon the Ultimate Weapon, Sora grinded his teeth and got in a fighting stance, "You're a pathetic manipulative bastard who's too cowardly to face his own son…"

The figure only laughed again after Sora finished his acidly based words. He observed Roxas calling upon the Sky of Silver Flames (keyblade obtained from Max) and the Bond of Flame out of the corner of his eye and almost smirked as he slid off the mask from under his hood.

After a few minutes or so, the man finally chose to speak, "_So… Drake really has his nobody now… Looking forward to breaking the prophecy?_"

"Yeah I'm looking forward to breaking your face!" Roxas yelled suddenly in his own poisonous voice.

"_Ha ha… You can try._" And again he made the first move, completely catching the two boys off guard.

He had spun and raised his right arm and the floor sprung out under the keyblade master and the other. Sora and Roxas felt themselves pressed flat against the rising stone that would soon crush them against the ceiling but found the strength to roll off at the last minute. Each landed on the beams a few yards below where others had appeared to be sitting in once before. They looked down to observe the three dires all pouncing at once. It was then that they saw (yellow for Essentrice, silver for Khazan and Black for Sincos) flames burning on the wolves' paws.

The blond and brunette jumped down to join the battle where Sincos was thrown back, nimbly landing on her burning feet and rejoined the feud. Max and the three Roxas had split with were nowhere in sight. It seemed the assassin was too ashamed after the revealing of that little piece of knowledge and Sora was almost sorrowful were it not for Roxas just being blown back by a fiery blast where Essentrice bit a now spewing shoulder of Gishnuruk's for revenge. Sora hastily ran to his side, helping him sit up. The blond had a bleeding lip and, what Sora thought even though looking through a shaded glass helm, a black eye.

Roxas needed a bit of protection to rest and Sora looked over with concern at Essentrice who had been tossed out of the ordeal for a moment. The dire nodded evidently in return without a word and returned to the battle where the titan still had a dense shoulder spewing scarlet blood. Sora returned bending over his other and soothing the burnt armor with his magic. Roxas smiled up at him with gratefulness as Sora smiled back.

The brunette stood and returned to the battle, knowing Roxas would be fine. It was as if his father had unlimited blood because it was still bleeding like hell. Sora wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing but ran up all the same. Gishnuruk had temporarily knocked the elders down with a large silver spear he had acquired and held it in battle stance toward his son. Sora was almost there, just a few more steps. But just as he reached the giant, it was as if he finally decided to change his mind at the last minute and whirled around and thrusted the spear toward the blond, slowly getting up a few yards away. Sora watched in horror of the act.

"_**ROXAS!**_"

He could've sworn his voice was joined with another's, and he soon found out why after the swift clank of broken steel on stone.

Roxas froze with his mind and body in shock. His eyes traveled from the point that was two inches from the space between his eyes, down the pole to observe the bloody back as his heart skipped a beat. Max had jumped out of the shadows accompanied with the three who had yet to come and thrown herself in front of the blade. Her shattered duel scythes teetered on the cold floor and she fell to her knees; the weapon searing in its spot through her chest. There were immediately long ear-piercing howls from the dires as they continued to do battle with twice as much rage as before. Neither Sora, Roxas nor the others could move as they watched the teenager use the last bit of her strength to use advanced magic to break the ends of the spear; letting her fall to the floor with her last breath in a peaceful position.

It was then the rage overtook the both of the young princes and they spoke in unison in the same acidly venomous voice that sent shivers down the new arrivals spines, "_Essentrice! Enough!_"

The dires immediately ceased the fight and backed away, awaiting further orders. The duo spoke as the same person, as Drake, and it seemed his actual soul filled a part of them for the first time of their lives.

"_Father… That's not your true form… Why hide it?_" they asked poisonously with ebony eyes.

Gishnuruk seemed to think as one could just feel him sneer under the armor and did a very fake, low bow, "_As the prince… Commands…_"

Sora and Roxas heard Larxene scream of fright as the sound of cracking armor filled the room. The titan was yet growing in size and they soon saw the reason he bled so much. The entire suit was a container of blood, well blood that moved on its own accord. It mounted and piled continuously until it was big enough to fill the large cushion behind the throne and shaped until it turned into something Sora would've screamed himself at.

Gishnuruk was no human. This spirit was a living meaning of the words "spiteful" and "horrifying". He was a sort of serpent like dog with rough but smooth light green skin and black stripes. He also had no pupils but white eyes, his front legs were that of a pray mantis' that knifed the ground, he had no ears but what appeared to be long dull horns covered in skin and three long porcupine-like spines grew out of his back. He was _huge_. About ten times the size of Essentrice, who had stepped back and ran to check if there was still any sign of life in Max's body, he took a blistering step forward as the floor cracked to let the bladed limb enter it.

"_You killed her…_" the two stated acidly, taking it slow but step by step they approached Gishnuruk.

"_I merely granted a wish. She had begged many times, and I had refused. So it seems she saw it fit to do one last deed before she destroyed herself._" He answered plainly with fake sympathy, "_Pity… You should've died, not her._"

"_And of course you'd kill your own son._" They replied immediately.

"_Well, you'd kill your own father._"

This caught them of guard for the moment before they finally answered, "_One fatal gift doesn't change a course of heart._"

The large dragon-like dog smirked with his fangs bared, "_Oh but it already has._"

The keyblade masters dodged just in time to block the sudden attack. It was tremendously amazing how one so huge could maneuver so swiftly. Then again, this was a large, correction, enormous room that sprawled through the heart of the keep. The dires did not join in, keeping to the last order and stopped the other three from attacking as well. Sora quickly blocked the forceful strike of the pray mantis scythe and dodged to the left. Gishnuruk wasn't even breaking a sweat, even if he could actually sweat. Roxas flipped forward before a swipe from the titan's gigantic tail could sweep him off his feet. It was as if the three were dancing, their father moving every which way simply, curving his large flexible body to their next strikes perfectly. It's like he knew their fighting style and every strike before it happened.

Then Roxas chanced a hit at the leathery hide where the ribs were and struck it just as his attention was on Sora. Gishnuruk growled at his mistake and slightly kneeled in hesitation. The blond immediately seized his chance and jumped up to throw a slow to the giant's neck, but Nuruk was quicker. Whipping his head around, his jaws enclosed themselves around the prince's small form. Sora froze in his spot of striking his father's arm and watched uselessly. He stared as his lover was thrown, and were it not for Sincos immediately jumping so her hide would stop his path, Roxas would've smashed into one of the room's dense black pillars.

The brunette turned around to seek revenge but immediately felt a sharp stinging pain in his right shoulder. He was thrusted onto his back as his father's blade pressed threateningly into the prince's shoulder. If the behemoth were actually putting force onto the cut, Sora's arm would have been savagely detached from his body. The teenager could feel his own armor pushing into his flesh and groaned so loudly, it was almost a scream.

"_What do you seek to accomplish by killing me? You have already disintegrated the guardian's worlds; smothered all the living in darkness! What left is there to save?! You have created the destruction you fought to prevent, including the annihilation of yourself, prince._" Gishnuruk growled almost too calmly, "_The current stray of execution will end now. Yes, you could've killed your father long before, but nothing would have stopped __**you**__ from opening Pandora's Box!_"

Sora was almost at a loss from these words. They were all of honesty and spoken for one purpose. The brunette glared at his father with cold black eyes and gritted his teeth.

"_You were never my father…_"

The titan sneered at this, unsheathing his scythe from the boy's shoulder and pulling it back to hit the finishing strike. Sora closed his eyes to await it patiently and willingly, but it never came. Instead, he opened them to see Essentrice guarding his body with his own, blocking the stab with his jaws pushing it back. When he released it and Gishnuruk stepped back with a scowl, Essentrice growled with such malice, Sora trembled.

"_Orders or not, you're not touching him again._" The dire stated spitefully.

Suddenly, Max had gotten his skateboard that started to protrude blades on the brims and had jumped up and thrashed across the giant's neck with it, allowing blood to drip down his massive chest. Gishnuruk growled with disgust, furious he let his guard down, and backed away still yet. Axel and Larxene joined in as well, but their weapons seemed to bounce off the blocks made from the giant's leathery blades. Khazan immediately followed with Sincos by his side as Sora got shakily to his feet with his hand caressing his shoulder, his guard completely vulnerable.

Roxas lay a ways away, fully unconscious. Sora looked back at him, regretting everything that had ever happened because of his misdoings. Then picking up his blades, he looked back upon the battle and argued in his right mind whether or not to join the battle or help Roxas. So in the end, he chose the latter and dismissed his weapons, thinking the others could handle it for now, and ran to the blond. Roxas was bleeding in several places where Gishnuruk's large teeth had bruised and cut his armor. He was slowly regaining consciousness and opened his eyes to squint up at the brunette who caressed him in his arms.

"Roxas… You alright?" Sora asked soothingly with his shoulder slightly trembling from the applied pressure.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" the blond forced out in a low moan.

Their pupils had returned to normal and whatever bit of Drake that visited had left without a trace. Roxas lifted his head to see the war behind the brunette with a frown but didn't say anything and relaxed. But as soon as he leaned back, his eyes widened in horror as he looked over Sora's shoulder.

"Sora! Watch out!" he yelled, forcing himself to sit up.

Sora turned immediately to see Gishnuruk rear up onto his hind legs and ready himself to pound the duo into the ground with everything he had. Frozen to the spot, neither the brunette nor the blond could move as the giant brought himself down upon them. Suddenly, Essentrice jumped in front of the blow, intent on his decision, and their father's strike was slowed to drop a foot in front of them as the dire was thrown back.

"_**NO!**_" the two yelled as they jumped up, despite their injuries, and watched in horror as the elder fell to the stone floor limp and lifeless.

The other wolves immediately ceased their actions and froze, staring at their brother. This had to be a dream. Just, had to…

They had all lost too much already; all taken away by the Devil himself. Essentrice shouldn't be dead, _couldn't_ be dead. Not now. Sora started to tremble in his anger as he threw his hood back and Roxas took off his already chipping helm. Flames began to burn around the brunette, adding to his vicious form when he gritted his teeth and his eyes narrowed. The rage was entering him again and he whipped around to face the murderer he had called father.

"_Who are you!?_" he shot suddenly as Gishnuruk let a smirk grow onto his face.

"_The elders have called me Gishnuruk, 'The Satanist Warlord of Sadism', isn't that enough knowledge for you?_" he questioned back while he examined the blood on his light-green leathery blades hungrily.

"_Don't play with me!_ _Who are you!?_" Sora continued in a shout as furious as his first.

The dragon ceased his smirking at this and narrowed his ghostly eyes, "_My apologies prince… My name is Lord Lucivar Veknata Treñablo Xanyar of Velshnair, heir of my father, Lord Fañaylet of Cainer and my mother, Lady Hepstovin of Shelnate… __Ruler of the Five Realms, destroyer of the Twelve Kingdoms, and sacred servant to the darkness within all…_"

Sora froze as the sudden de ja vu hit him. Wasn't that exactly what Essentrice told Roxas when they first met?

"_What are you playing at? That's Essentrice's identity!_" the brunette argued though still with doubt.

"_Ha! I merely stated that when he was my puppet. I gave him my title so you'd run with you tail between your legs._" The titan exclaimed rather enthusiastically.

"_But I didn't run!_" his son answered immediately, "_I fought to see the day when you finally died._"

The Lord bared his teeth once more, "_Then you have wasted your breath._"

They launched at each other, intent on bringing the other to his knees. As Lord Lucivar opened his jaws to encase the flying body, Sora spun backwards, avoided the nasty bite and struck the monster's chest with his freshly summoned keyblades. Turning to face the others, he narrowed his eyes.

"Axel! Larxene!"

They understood immediately and both took out their trademark weapons and threw them where Sora had hit the painful blow. The attacks crossed and formed a large scarlet 'X' on the beast's chest while the nymph and pyro recaptured their arsenals. Gishnuruk stepped back with trembling legs and further hesitation as he growled in frustration and pain.

"Khazan! Sincos!"

The dires followed pursuit and pounced. Each wolf bit and clawed the pressure points on the titan's legs, disabling his movement, and shot up to slit his throat where Max had cut him severely so that it bled even more seriously. They sprinted back to their stances behind the keyblade bearer while Gishnuruk howled with his temple and neck throbbing.

"Max!"

The Goof spun on his skateboard, into the air, and clouted the Lord across the face; soon doing a back flip off his ride to kick the other side of his face. The teen then landed and hopped up to boot him twice where the bleeding 'X' crossed and fell back beside the wolves, leaving the giant growling even louder and more frustrated than ever.

Sora glanced one look at the blond and he understood. Both took the single keyblade 'Oblivion' and held it in the blond's left and the brunette's right fists. And then together they ran and jumped a flip toward the 'X', thrusting the blade into their father's heart. They did not cease until the key was halfway buried into his body and they twisted it like one would do a regular key in a regular lock. They jumped back, watching as Lord Lucivar, their actual father, roared one last cry of vengeance and fell. They watched as his body burst into bright blue flames and disappeared without a trace. They watched as the dark light that was his soul floated in midair, withered for a moment, and vanished.

They barely had time to sigh in disbelief before the castle began to crumble over their heads while Oblivion disappeared until further use. Kingdom Hearts was slowly disappearing and the mists and bogs were clearing around them to show a long missed sun. The group ran without hesitation to the exits, (Khazan picking up Essentrice's body and Axel picking up Max's as they went) and flew down the halls to seek a way out.

"Which damn way!?" Roxas barked over the sound of devastation, "If we don't get out we might as well have died fighting!"

Sora swiftly dodged a falling boulder and looked around at the three passages they stopped at, "The right one if we're lucky!"

Sincos took one look at the right one as he said this and smirked, "There! He's literally right! I can smell fresh air at the end!"

Sora immediately made for it, but was suddenly stopped as a nearby pillar fell onto his right leg. He clenched his teeth when he heard the cracks sounding from his cramped bones. He looked over the pillar at the group about to leave him, unaware that he had been recently disabled. He wanted to call out but his voice seemed to freeze once it reached the back of his throat.

"Sora! You alright?"

Sora whipped his head around to see the blond kneeling next to him. He had been trailing in the back, making sure no one got left behind. The master felt like he had never been so happy to see him in his life, but of course this was untrue.

"No, my leg is caught underneath the stone." Sora gasped as he clutched said limb.

"Okay er… Let's see… Just, don't move." Roxas directed as he got up and kneeled to examine the damaged leg.

"Okay, hold still."

Grabbing the pieces of the broken rock that covered his friend's leg, he lifted the heavy stone with all his might and threw it to the other side of the room, revealing cracked, dented and bloody dark armor. Roxas sucked in through his teeth at the sight.

"C'mon. We're getting left behind!" Sora urged suddenly, massaging his thigh.

Roxas did a brief nod and picked his lover up bridal style and ran down the path the group had disappeared through. Sincos had been right, the hall had led them directly to a tower's balcony and Tenebrus was right there, awaiting their arrival. The others were already gone.

When they looked up at the sky, they found it wasn't just the castle that was crumbling, it was the universe as well. The golden sky that was Kingdom Hearts was gradually fading away to reveal the gray stormy skies that caused the heavy rain to fall. Gently lifting Sora onto the behemoth's back, Roxas mounted behind them and softly patted Shydran's neck to signal it to ascend. When Max's guardian jumped off the balcony, the pair looked back at the crumbling castle and the resting ruins of their once strong father.

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**_Awww... Are you sad? Sorry if this made you mourn... But it's not over yet! And IMPORTANT READ!_**

**_I have something to ask and something to inform. The Question:_**

**How many of you think I should create a sequal once this story is finished?**

**_And the Information:_**

**I am making the credits for this Story. Mainly the Casted Voice Actors that I thought would do well and I plastered them on top of a music video. It will be on and I'll write the url on the last chapter (or epilogue if the above question is answered) and you all may watch it with or without the credit overlay.**

**_Well, that's all for now! Read & Review!_**


	19. Ch18 We're Back

**_Hey guys! Sorry it's been like... months... But I finally wrote the second to last chapter! THAT'S RIGHT! Second chapter! There's still on to go! And that one will be song based, not this one. Just so you know._**

**_Anywho, by the way, this chapter as some sexual content, but not too bad so I don't have to change the rating to mature. And sorry if some of it sounds gay. And again, sorry for the late update! The next one won't be so late!_**

**Disclaimer:**

**Riku: HAHAHAHA!! My best friend is gay!**

**Sora & Roxas: SHUDDUP!**

**Me: I don't own them and I'm not sure I want to now...**

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_Chapter 18  
_**_We're Back…_**

Sora held his keyblade in place until the timing 'click' rang to signal that the world was locked from the heartless. He walked out of the ship's cabin and smiled at Jim Hawkins and the blond. This was the last world they had to lock, really the last _galaxy_ since this world was through a black hole. Cyborg had just left with his last advising words to the three boys, and Morph was left behind to look after Jim. Sora and Roxas could summon the pink blob whenever they wanted to, but neither thought they would have to do it anytime soon. Jim Hawkings put an arm around each boy's shoulder with a large grin spread wide on his face.

Max dropped down in front of them on the Hawkins's hover sail. The Goof was having the time of his life and the three laughed at his entertainment. They soon left with they're binding oath they promise to every world they visit that the three would come back, and neither Sora nor Roxas said a word on the ride home to Disney Castle. Max fell asleep in his chair with his cap set low on his head. The other two smiled with heavy sighs. After all this time… About a month and a half it seemed… Things were back to the way they were supposed to be, and Sora couldn't have been happier.

The gummi ship entered the hanger bay with the most silent of landings. Chip and Dale barely noticed their arrival, but as soon as they did, the pair scurried up as quickly as any chipmunk could.

"Sora!! Roxas!! Max!! You're home!!" Chip cried in excitement as he continuously hopped beside his brother.

"It's great to see ya again!!" Dale added in just as much enthusiasm, "We missed you all!"

Sora almost immediately kneeled to their level, "Hey fellas! Nice to see you guys again, too!"

Roxas smirked in his stance behind the brunet as Max looked in utter (almost anxious) amazement at how high the rodents could jump. The blond didn't take long to notice his friend's edginess and grabbed his shoulder in brotherly comfort. Max nodded with a grin of his own.

Sora stood up after a minute or two and gestured the duo to follow him as Chip and Dale led the way upstairs and onto the gardens. Almost immediately, Sora's long time friends, Riku and Kairi were on him, with King Mickey watching not too far off. The part-of-Sora's-whole looked over at the mouse with a blank face and his majesty could only smile in return. Roxas, after a moment or two, smiled back.

"SORA!!!" Kairi practically screamed when she pounced on the poor teen. Sora wasn't expecting this whatsoever and was caught completely off guard as he fell over from the sudden force. Riku stood back a bit but smirked all the same.

"Kairi?! Riku?! What the hell are you guys doing here?" the brunet attempted to say through gasps, as the redhead's grip grew tighter around his form.

Riku smirked wider in response, "Sora! Don't curse in front of a woman! Even you should know that."

The keyblade wielder laughed his reply, "Riku, you have no place saying that!"

Riku laughed at the retort and noogied his best friend when the girl finally released him.

Kairi smiled the widest smile Sora had seen in a while, "Two months Sora! Two freakishly long freaking months! Now you know things get boring on the islands without your giddiness there!"

"Oh, how did you manage?" the teenager joked in return. The pun was met with even more laughter, hugs and noogies from his two best friends.

In all the while, Max had slipped off to talk with the king about a subject Roxas didn't have the luxury of overhearing. So, in all that time, the blond himself escaped to the other side of the garden-castle. He climbed to the highest point and dangled his legs over the bush before looking back down at the three long time friends. Roxas had to admit it. He was jealous. But it wasn't just the fact that they were laughing with and hugging _his_ Sora, but it was also that every time the three did something that made the entire group smile, Roxas would have a flashback of himself and his own old friends from Twilight Town: Hayner, Pence and Olette.

A small tear escaped the boy's lid before letting gravity consume and drag it to the ground. He was lost within his own world before he finally noticed that someone was calling his name. Roxas looked up to see Sora gesturing him over. After a moment's hesitation, he hopped off the shrubbery and walked over to them.

"Guys," Sora began as he greeted Roxas' back with his palm when the boy walked up timidly, "This is Roxas, as you all know…"

Riku and Kairi were watching in awe at the nobody suddenly whole. Kairi finally spoke up when Riku refused to, "Roxas…? But… How did you-?"

"Yen Sid… And a _lot_ of luck…" the boy cut her off with a huge smile.

"Hey…" Roxas greeted sheepishly with a small wave.

Riku, who had his arms crossed the entire time, steadily grew his awestruck expression into a perfectly curved smirk, reminding Sora vaguely of Leon when King Mickey figured out a password was a code. Kairi soon got over the surprise as well as she let her gape transform into a small warm smile.

She lifted up her hand to shake the blond's in greeting, "It's nice to finally really meet you in person, Roxas."

Roxas smiled shyly in return before grasping it, "You too, Kairi. Riku…" The blond added the last part with a nod to the sixteen-year-old in which the teen nodded back.

"And that guy over there, talking to the king, is Goofy's son, Max. He joined about halfway in." Sora continued to introduce his comrades to the pair. Roxas listened, but wasn't entirely in it. The thoughts of his original friends flashed in and out of his mind in just a couple seconds. It took a great amount of effort to hide the pain from them.

The three greeters waved to each other across the yard as they were introduced. Much talk went by before the whole group retreated to the castle for dinner. Sora and Roxas were finally the only two left outside. The brunet turned to him with a wide smile.

"Well… We're back…" he stated softly.

Roxas grinned, "Yeah… I guess so…"

The thought of truth suddenly filled him. How would Riku and Kairi take it when the pair told them what relationship Sora and his nobody were in? How would Naminé take it? Heck! How would anyone take it? Roxas' eyes were soon filled with shadowed misery. Sora noticed in about a blink of an eye.

"Roxas? Something wrong?" he asked in worry.

The blond shrugged in response, "Oh I don't know anymore, Sora… How do _you _think everyone will take it once we tell them well… You know… About us?"

The brunet sighed heavily before answering, "Well… Max handled it without a care… Hopefully, the rest will too. Riku and Kairi will understand, I'm sure. And the rest seem probable to take it well…"

"Sora… When was the last time _you_ saw a gay couple? When was the last time _you_ saw homosexuality of another person's to be taken _lightly_?!" Roxas pressed with doubt, "Tell me, Sora… What will _you_ do if your friends reject you for me? Just, tell me that."

Sora gave him a soft smile before leaning forward and forcing his lips into his other's in the blink of an eye. He grasped the blond's wrist in the process when Roxas held it up in surprise. Roxas melted into his shape and flavor without another moment's hesitation. He wrapped his arms around the boy's neck in a seductive response to the intense bruises placed on the corners of his mouth. The other boy wrapped his free hand around the blond's waist to add to the soothe. It was a while before the pair finally broke apart.

Sora grinned broadly at his friend's reaction, "If things change… I'll still follow you anywhere…"

Roxas grinned back with his arms still around the boy's neck. He replaced the kiss to express his gratitude and Sora eagerly welcomed it. The session occupied the brunet's mind as the blond cunningly made for his necklace. A couple more seconds and Roxas jumped out and away from his friend's grasp, crown pendant dangling brilliantly in his hold. He laughed with victory.

"Ha HA!!! VICTORY IS MINE! Sora, Keyblade Master, has let his guard down! So Roxas takes the prize!" the keyblade master stomped in circles with the necklace raised about his spikes. Sora watched in shock before regaining his nerve and laughing his heart out.

He soon chased the blond for the piece of jewelry, "You cheated, Roxas! Advantages! That's not fair!"

Roxas ran in fits of laughter and chants, "It wasn't cheating! It was cunning! I didn't have an advantage, you just had a disadvantage! So it's totally fair!"

The shenanigan wore on as Sora chased the boy into the dining room of the castle. So here the pair was, bursting through the large white doors and into the hall to have the others stare with blank expressions. The only three faces not blank were Riku, Kairi and Max's faces. They were watching with both pity and amusement.

It wasn't long until the show ended. Sora, having no idea what part of the floor he was stepping on, ran a foot into the section of the room with recently waxed floors. So naturally, the brunette slipped, which oddly increased his speed tenfold, and rammed into the blond and into the wall. Sora soon found himself sitting in the poor boy's lap with Roxas' back against the barricade. Laughter filled the room almost immediately and Sora and Roxas sat down to eat.

During dinner, Sora, Roxas and Max reminisced their long adventure and explained that they were going to attend two funerals at Edymaskoria about two days into the future. The group agreed eagerly to go.

Soon, they all said their goodnights once the conservations died away and the clock struck midnight. Sora, Roxas, Riku, Kairi and Max trudged up to their dormitories in the West Wing of the castle.

Sora and Roxas were sharing a room, much to Riku and Kairi's surprise. But before they went to bed, Sora invited them to their room for a quick discussion before bed as Max went to sleep immediately. Roxas insisted upon leaving to the gardens through the conversation, much to Sora's dismay, but the boy couldn't stand to see the faces the pair might make at him. As much as he didn't like leaving Sora to handle it by himself, Roxas would feel even more uncomfortable with not knowing the pair so well.

The blond trailed onto the foregrounds of the castle. He returned to the tallest step on the castle shrubbery, sat down and closed his eyes. He was almost immediately sent into his own world. Twilight Town… The Usual Spot…

Hayner continued to buzz about the Struggle to anyone that would listen. Pence took pictures of skateboard sessions throughout the city. Olette spent her time reading on her green couch in the alley. Roxas found himself in the Tramm Common, putting up posters for the oncoming matches. The feeling was nearly real, but everyone was faded.

His meditation ceased when he heard rustling in a nearby shrub. Roxas snapped his eyes open and narrowed his eyes at the bush. Seeing as it held concentration not to move again, he quietly summoned the Bond of Flame to his side. But the rustling started again and Roxas barely had time to hop off the bush to investigate. His partner's redheaded noggin popped out of the bushes before anyone could say "Pyro". Roxas leered down at Axel before hopping off the shrubbery.

"Axel! Where've you been, bud?" the younger teen asked as he evicted his keyblade.

"Oh, the usual… Had to help Larx organize the Organization, because now, they aren't so organized." Axel answered in between laughs.

"Must've been pretty shocked at how Gish went down, huh?" Roxas questioned cheerfully.

"Yeah," the pyro laughed, "You should've seen the look on Xigbar's face! A turkey could've flown into his mouth and he wouldn't have noticed."

"Just like Xigbar, I'm assuming…" the blond smiled in return before gesturing him to walk around the field, "So, where's Larxene?"

"She's still convincing them about their hearts. Who knew Xemnas could be so defensive?" the redhead chuckled in continuation, "_LIES! WE HAVE NO HEARTS!_"

Roxas nearly fell over laughing. He couldn't think about anything else he wanted to do at the moment other than laugh with the partner he thought he had lost.

* * *

Sora could only think about anything else he wanted to do at the moment than sit in his room and tell his two best friends that he was gay. Roxas seemed to have the right idea when he left. The brunet wished he joined him now that Riku and Kairi walked in. They were smiling, as usual. 

"Hey guys. What took you so long?" he asked as he sat at the foot of the double bed.

"We had to set our backpacks in our rooms. So Sora, what's up?" Riku asked before sitting in a chair across the brunet as the redhead sat on the trunk to the right of the keyblade master.

"Err… Well… You know how I spent this entire adventure with Roxas for two months? And how you and Kairi got together over the summer? Well…" the teenager trailed off, looking away.

"Yes, Sora…?" Kairi pressed with her head tilted. She couldn't have looked more innocent.

"This is for Naminé too… If she can hear me…" the boy continued in a monotone.

"Of course she can. She's listening, Sora. Go ahead." She encouraged with a soft smile.

"Well… Roxas and me, spent a lot of time together…" he went on nervously.

"Oh," Riku said suddenly, looking at Sora with wide eyes.

The teenager knew that his best friend knew what he meant, but the look he gave him hurt more than being clamped in his father's jaws. He was sure Riku didn't mean to give him that look, but was just a bit surprised. Kairi still seemed oblivious.

"What? What's so 'oh'?" she asked in panic.

Riku looked at his knees, partially ashamed of the look he just gave his best friend, and tilted his head slightly. Kairi looked from one to the other nervously. Sora drew his eyes away as well, to the corner of the wall where it was vacant. His heart was beating twelve thumps per second. The sixteen year old didn't seem to have taken it so well, so Sora thought. What mattered now is how Kairi and her nobody would take it.

"Sora? Riku? What's wrong!?" she asked, beginning to get worried.

"You know how Sora talked about the prophecy?" Riku started for the brunet, "And how he talked about being reincarnated? He said something about his being not being 'straight-forward' when in his reborn cycles. From what Sora's told us, I think he means that Drake was homosexual."

Sora had snapped his head up to look at the boy. Riku seemed to understand, and he appeared to want to protect the boy from even more misery in his life. The brunet soon grew a small, steady smile for his friend.

Kairi raised an eyebrow at the explanation, merely in shock of it, "Wh-… What?"

"Kairi… I'm gay!" Sora stated bluntly but with a small grin. Riku spontaneously burst out laughing. The adolescent nearly fell off the chair from holding his sides. Kairi merely stared and blinked. Sora watched and grinned. It wasn't long before the two started with a soft chuckle and worked their way to hard laughs.

Riku was about to die of laughter, but Sora couldn't pay attention. They understood… And that's all that mattered to him right now…

Finally, the trio stood up rubbing the tears from their cheerful eyes. Sora couldn't have wished for better friends. Kairi now understood, and she was so lighthearted about it, she almost seemed to be a fan girl. Both she and her nobody showed support. Apparently, Naminé had later fallen in love with Riku as well, so there were no problems.

Riku began ordering him to tell the story in full, with **NO** details left out this time. Sora obliged cheerfully, and when the story ended, Kairi was nearly jumping up and down with giddiness as Riku crossed his arms and smirked.

"Oh my freakin' god… Sora, that's so romantic…" she squealed dreamily.

"And gay…" Riku scoffed with a leer.

Sora punched his shoulder, "Shut up!"

Riku soon got him in a headlock and began noogying the poor boy once more. Kairi watched with laughter.

* * *

"Roxas, you should go for it… Just tell the dude and he'll understand!" Axel encouraged with a laugh. 

Roxas continued to skateboard with a sheepish look to his face. The sun had long set behind the castle walls of Disney Castle. Axel watched the blond perform tricks on the white and blue skateboard on the top ledge of the shrub-castle. Roxas could barely see the shadows out his and Sora's balcony window of Sora, Riku and Kairi. He couldn't tell what was happening, but it seemed like the three were talking animatedly. He looked back at his old partner before screeching to a stop on the colorful grass surrounding the fort.

"I don't know Axel… If we keep splitting apart like this… We won't remember each other before we know it." The 15 year-old shrugged nervously as he looked up at the redhead.

"You're overreacting Roxas!" the other boy replied immediately, "Sora's an understanding guy! He won't hold you down… Besides, what's the harm in visiting old friends?"

Roxas looked up at him anxiously before turning his head to look up at the balcony once more. He hesitated timidly before shifting his eyes back at the flurry. His eyes soon swung downcast to look at the grass beneath him. Finally, after quite some time, he looked back up with an uneasy smile.

"I guess you're right Axel…" the blond continued to shrug.

"I know." His friend answered almost immediately as he pretended to dust unwanted dirt off his shoulder.

"I'll ask him; he'll understand…" he carried on before looking back up at the ledge with the trio. He soon looked back at the older boy and smiled, "Thanks Axel. And by the way, you're burning the ledge."

"Huh?"

Axel looked down at his hand and found the leaves aflame beneath it. He jumped up almost immediately and fell off the shrubbery with a yell. Getting up with a grown, the pyro began attempting to wipe the flame out with his hands, which only made it worse.

"Dammit! Where's Demyx when you need him!?" he asked himself furiously.

Roxas laughed and pushed the teenager aside before patting the fire out himself, "First of all… If it was your hands that started the fire, I suggest that you don't use them to try and put it out."

Axel gave him a look that could curdle milk, "Haha… Funny…"

"Now hurry up, go ask him!" the redhead rushed while pushing him toward the doors, "I'm tired anyway… Let me get to bed."

Roxas laughed once more before beginning to walk up to their dorm. He whistled as he strode. It was amazing how he navigated through the corridors with his eyes closed, but eventually, he got there. And when he just got to the entrance, it swung open and there stood Riku and Kairi about to head to their own rooms. The three froze and stared at each other for a couple seconds before the redhead tackled him with a bear hug.

"Kairi! What the hell!?" Roxas yelped before toppling over with Riku pointing and laughing.

"Roxas! Practically my brother in law already! You and Sora… It's all so romantic!" she practically squealed.

The blond barely stood up to brush himself off before Riku took hold of him and noogied his blond head until it burned, "My new little brother, huh? Take good care of him… If something happens to him, you're the first one I'm coming after."

Roxas eventually pushed himself out of the boys grasp and hesitated before laughing, "I look forward to it."

The two soon bid their goodnights and Roxas finally walked inside the room. Sora wasn't in sight, so the blond guessed that he was in the bathroom, getting ready for bed. Evil thoughts crept inside his mind as he made his way toward the door. Slowly pulling it open, he found that the brunet was taking a shower. The boy smiled to himself as he closed the door behind him. He first turned to the large mirror above the sink that was progressively getting foggier. Roxas straightened his hair slowly before turning and taking a deep breath.

Finally, he pulled the curtains to the side just enough to peek in, and just enough for Sora to notice as he finished washing the shampoo out of his still gravity defying hair. The brunet hurriedly covered himself in reflex with a yelp. The teenager stared at the blond as if he were a mass murderer.

"**Roxas!?** **The hell!?** **A little privacy!**" he yelled as he fidgeted his arms.

Roxas couldn't help but smirk with a chuckle, "Just checkin' in, baby."

He leaned in so he was immediately soaked from his shoulder blades to the tips of his hair. The teen pressed his lips into the brunets in a five second kiss before pulling away. He smirked wider at Sora's shocked face, "Want me to rub your back, gorgeous?"

Sora, who was already blushing furiously, turned 7 shades of red at the inquiry and glared at the boy. He leaned in so they were only a few inches apart, still covering himself and growled, "Not on your life, sport."

"Okay then, how 'bout on yours?"

The blond didn't even give him time to answer before he kissed him so hard that it bruised. He walked fully into the shower now, indifferent to the fact that his clothes were soaked to the skin. Sora, first taken by surprise, gave in eagerly and massaged the boy back. His hands trailed up his nobody's shirt and traced the tense lines of Roxas' abdomen. It wasn't long until he tore those garments off greedily. As the brunet explored his stomach, the blond explored his back.

He tickled the fine muscle lines of the boy's back and rubbed his broad tan shoulders with a smile on his face. Sora stroked his chest passionately in return before they finally broke apart. They took deep breaths hungrily as they grinned at one another. Roxas kneeled slightly and hugged the boy under the arms with his head on his shoulder. Sora wrapped his arms around him without hesitation.

"Love me?"

Sora snapped his eyes open at that and stared down at the boy's head. The question was uncalled for, but he knew the answer immediately when it was asked.

"Always and forever, Hun…"

* * *

**_See! It wasn't quite mature... Sure, there was nudity, but no words describing 'private' parts, eh? I hope you guys are satisfied for a couple weeks, or at least a couple days. And yes, I know the end was cliche, but what'd you want me to say?! READ AND REVIEW! I'll attempt to send you a plushie of Riku if you do. (except if you're a dude, than I'll attempt to give you an Axel figurine, cuz I'm cool like that) Anywho, stay tuned for the final chap!_**


	20. Ch19 This Isn't Over

_**Hey guys... Finally, right? The story has officially ended after you have read this chapter! So what are you waiting for!? Are you gonna read it or stare at your screen idiotically? Nah, I know you wouldn't do that, you guys are too smart! Anywho, when I say 'officially ended' I mean 'just be patient so you can read the sequal'! Anyway, I hope you liked the story as I wrote it down and I wasn't joking when I said I was making it up as I go along. Lol... Cuz I'm lame like that... Anywho, there is a poll on my main page asking how you liked this story! It also asks if I should do a sequal or not. So, why don't you guys go over and vote! That will definately tell me if ya'll want a sequal or not!**_

**Disclaimer:**

**Sora:Aww... We're in tears! I'm a guy! I shouldn't cry like this! ARGH! I LOOK LIKE A PANSY!**

**Roxas:Grrr... You can say that again... She made BOTH OF US LOOK LIKE PANSIES!**

**Axel and Riku: 'point' HAH! YOU PANSIES!**

**Kairi: 'sigh' Men... Can't live with 'em... Can't live without 'em... Wait no... Scratch that last part... I can live without 'em... Anywho, hemphisis disclaims all material related to Disney or Square Enix. Have fun reading! **

_

* * *

_

_Chapter 19_

_**This Isn't Over**_

_No POV_  
_Lay down,  
your sweet and weary head.  
Night is falling.  
You have come to journey's end._

Roxas stepped outside onto the balcony in his morning clothes. The sun barely peeked over the horizon and he breathed in deeply with his eyes downcast. He had to ask Sora today. Today, Sora was going back to the islands with Riku and Kairi, but Roxas wanted to see his own friends too. He wasn't quite that sure that he would like starting all over and becoming friends with them for a second time, but he knew that in the end, it would be worth it. The brunet was sleeping soundly in the room behind him. He smiled to himself at how lucky he was to have met a guy like Sora, and really to actually share the same heart. Their hearts were one, but Roxas still had an empty space that had to be filled with his old friends.

He stood there for at least a half hour before the blond heard the glass door open and close soundly behind him. Roxas felt strong, tan arms wrapping themselves around his chest and a soft chin on his bare shoulder. He grinned to himself once again for the blessings god placed on him and leant his head on the other boy's. He could feel Sora grin on his collarbone.

"What cha thinkin' about?" the brunet asked gently.

"Things that I should do… Things that I shouldn't have done…" Roxas answered softly as he looked at the base of the balcony's railing.

"Go on…" his friend urged harmoniously.

Roxas smiled again and Sora returned it thoughtfully. The blond sighed before continuing, "And things I need to ask you…"

"Interesting…" the boy answered with warmth as he brushed his lips onto the boy's soft skin with a slight tease.

Roxas almost moaned if he didn't have control for the moment. He grinned to himself before turning and looking straight at the boy. Sora smiled back beautifully. The other teenager couldn't think of anyone else he would rather be together with. But there was also that question on his mind that he wanted so desperately to ask, and his smile faded.

"Err… Sora? There seriously is something I need to ask you…" he said anxiously with a slight paranoid look.

Sora raised an eyebrow at the sudden statement before grinning again, "Alright, shoot."

His other took a deep breath before looking at him straight in the eye. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Remember my old… _fake_ friends from Twilight Town?"

"Of course! Hayner, Pence and Omelet!" Sora answered cheerfully and with one of his most charming smiles.

Roxas laughed a small laugh before correcting him, "Olette Sora… Olette…"

"Oh…" the brunet mused sheepishly, "Right! Olette! I knew that… Just testing you…"

The blond laughed again in response and flicked the other teenager in the nose playfully. Sora snickered and began to tickle the boy's stomach as Roxas burst out laughing. Ready for revenge, he fought back and caught the boy in a headlock before performing Riku's signature noogy on him. The poor boy struggled and whined through laughs as they fell over onto the cement. It ended soon after that and the pair sat next to each other silently for a moment before Roxas continued the conversation.

"Well… Anyway…You know how you're going to get ready to go back to the islands today?" he inquired quietly.

Sora nodded soundlessly.

Roxas carried on calmly, "Well, I was thinking of visiting my old friends, or technically, 're-meeting' my old friends. Is that alright with you?"

"That's great with me! You should have a chance to see anyone you think you should see, Roxas… You don't have to ask me. It's not like I own you or anything." Sora joked heartily as he nudged the boy in the shoulder with playfulness.

The teenager chuckled at the statement and looked at his other seductively, "You do in my book."

He kissed the boy once more with a grin and Sora wasted no time in kissing him in return. When they broke apart, he laughed boyishly, "You don't know how glad I am to hear you say that."

* * *

_Sleep now, and dream  
of the ones who came before.  
They are calling,  
from across a distant shore._

"Hi, Your Majesty!" Sora chimed cheerfully as he stepped into the throne room.

King Mickey was taking his time looking through all the other notes and letters Master Yen Sid had sent him. He turned to see the boy approaching before laughing and waving back, "Hiya, Sora! Riku and Kairi are at breakfast already. Where's Roxas?"

"He's upstairs in the shower." The brunet answered with a grin. It slowly faded away though. The thought of telling King Mickey about what really happened on his adventures made him nervous once more. Kairi and Riku understood just fine, but would the king? He stood beside that mouse silently before speaking, "Umm… Your Majesty? There's something I need to tell you… About Drake… And me… And Roxas too…"

"I'm all ears, buddy. Go on… I'm listening." The king replied without a care as he continued to look through the notes.

"Well… Truthfully… All my past lives were…" he trailed off timidly as he scratched the back of his head, but the mouse spoke up to his surprise.

"Homosexual? Yes, I've known Sora. I'm okay with it. Why wouldn't I be?" he asked the teenager shamelessly when the boy gaped, "Besides, I gave you and Roxas the same room. That should say something."

"But… How did you-"

"You're not the only one who's read the prophecy Sora. Many others have as well. I'm happy for you and Roxas, as your friends are." The mouse explained with a smile.

Sora smiled back as his arm dropped. He gathered the small king in his arms and hugged him happily before putting him back down, "Thanks, King Mickey."

"Go get some breakfast… You deserve it." Mickey encouraged with bright eyes. Sora smiled and ran out of the room with a wave before disappearing around the white corner.

The brunet entered the room to see about a quarter of the organization joining the meal. Roxas and his two best friends waved from the opposite end of the table and pointed to the empty seat beside them. He waved back with a small grin before taking his seat. Max sat next to the king's seat at the table. The former nobodies greeted him with small smiles as well. He looked at each face to recognize them immediately, one at a time.

Zexion, Larxene, Axel and Demyx. He greeted them back cheerfully before being engulfed in an interesting conversation with Riku about the door to light.

* * *

_Why do you weep?  
What are these tears upon your face?  
Soon you will see.  
All of your fears will pass away.  
Safe in my arms,  
you're only sleeping._

"But Your Majesty! How are we supposed to move around without the gummi ship!" Sora asked in panic as he followed the king around.

The three followed behind the brunet in amusement. The king dodged around the hanger bay in search of something as the four followed. Sora winced continuously when the majesty didn't answer him. Kairi, Riku and Roxas snickered quietly behind them.

"Relax, Sora! I have a way to get you fellas to your own worlds safely. Don't worry!" Mickey soothed giddily as he searched for an object, "Now… Where is that prism?"

"Prism? Your Majesty, why do you need a prism?" the brunet asked with confusion.

The mouse looked back up at the boy with a blink, "Oh! Well, the prism is going to create the road that'll get you guys home."

"Oh! Okay… Where would it be?" the key bearer inquired enthusiastically as the other three continued to laugh.

Roxas' grin soon faltered as Kairi and Riku staggered off to help the king look for the object. He knew that without the gummi ship, how would he and Sora visit one another? Sure, the prism could work… But it would stay here in the king's possession, meaning that there would be no other way to travel to the islands. Tears began to leak from Roxas' blue eyes. Sora turned just in time to see them fall. He ran up to the boy on the spot with worry.

"Roxas! What's wrong?" he asked, grasping the teen's shoulders caringly.

Roxas hesitated before looking Sora in the eyes, "Nothing… It's just… Without the gummi ship… How will we see each other again?"

Sora jumped at the fact. Honestly, that hadn't occurred to him yet, and the thought of not being able to see Roxas again was truly frightening. He fought to keep tears back as well, but unfortunately, he lost the fight. Tears greeted him eagerly before dropping down. Roxas looked up at him with sorrow and all Sora could do was frown back, "I… I don't know…"

The brunet found his tears being wiped away by the blond before smiling and wiping the boy's as well. Roxas wrapped his arms around the boy's waist and Sora hugged him back somberly. As they stood apart, the key bearer smiled encouragingly as the blond blinked back.

"We'll see each other again…" he stated simply, and that was all Roxas needed to hear to believe him.

A faint "found it" was heard behind them and they laughed amongst themselves at Kairi's pale cheers across the room.

* * *

The fourteen stood in the garden silently as Mickey looked over the glass object. Demyx, Larxene and Zexion were going to begin new lives in Radiant Garden while Axel was going to resume his own life in Twilight Town with Roxas. Sora, Riku and Kairi got ready to head back to the islands and resume their lives with their parents. Max was going to stay behind and wait for his father to return from his second assignment so they could go home together. They watched as the king walked around the castle shrub slowly, examining it on his way around.

He dragged his hand across the surfaces of the leaves before stopping abruptly. The rest held their breath in confusion. The prism looked like a regular glass paperweight and was really small in size. It didn't seem to hold that much power.

Suddenly, the mouse thrusted his head into the leaves where his palm rested and, to the teens' shock, the leaves pressed in like a switch. A section in the grass in front of the group slowly opened and a small black stand emerged that had sub-stems that could hold the prism in place perfectly.

As was assumed, the mouse placed in the pedestal's lean clutches and it reacted quite freakily. There was a cracking sort of noise engulfing the garden. The dark stick was actually moving! It moved in jerks, feeling the prism all over as if trying to recognize its feel. After a moment of loud snaps, it became silent. Suddenly, what sounded like metal on metal rung and a wide road-like rainbow sprang out of the glass. It flew out of the atmosphere and into the space beyond to where they could no longer see the end of it. The teenagers behind the king gaped at the sight. In juts of light, a train, very much like the one that led to Yen Sid's, appeared on the colorful lane. Mickey turned to smile at the kids before ordering them to come aboard.

_What can you see,  
on the horizon?  
Why do the white gulls call?  
Across the sea,  
a pale moon rises.  
The ships have come,  
to carry you home_.

The nine waved out to the five left behind. Mickey hugged and kissed the Queen as Chip and Dale pounced on Sora with their goodbyes. Daisy stood behind with a pleasant smile as Roxas stood next to her without notice. Max walked up to give him a quick hug goodbye, which he accepted eagerly, before walking off to give the same one to Sora. Roxas smiled softly at the sight and entered the train after the four former Org. XIII members. Riku and Kairi stood behind with Sora, laughing and waiting for the chipmunks to settle down and allow their friend to leave. After a small matter of minutes, all nine were settled comfortably in the vehicle and the engines groaned on their accord without the king having to do anything.

The transport began to move slowly as Sora sat between Riku and Roxas with Kairi on the blond's side and the king on the sixteen-year-old's. Zexion, Demyx, Axel and Larxene, in that order, sat across from them near the door. The king and those four stayed silent as the four next to the mouse spoke quietly.

"So Sora, what do you want to do when we get home?" Kairi asked cheerfully.

"Er… I don't know… After seeing my mom I think I'm gonna visit the Island." He answered with a shrug.

"Exactly what we were thinking!" Riku stated with a grin; then turning to the blond, "You're going to love it on the Island, Rox. It's where Sora, Kairi and I always played when we were younger."

Roxas grimaced slightly at the exclamation. Sora also frowned a bit and hesitated before telling his friends the news, "Roxas isn't coming back with us… He's going to Twilight Town to catch up with some old friends. Kairi, you know 'em right?"

She nodded vigorously, "Yeah, Hayner, Pence and Olette. I couldn't forget them. You have great friends, Roxas."

Roxas laughed softly, "At least _you_ remember their names correctly. Sora couldn't remember names even if his life depended on it."

The four laughed amongst themselves as a few chuckles join them from the ones who listened silently. Roxas grimaced again as the laughter died down, "I _had_ great friends at least…"

"Don't say that Roxas! When I first left Twilight Town, Hayner thought he knew me from somewhere. I think, for some reason, they remembered you even know you were in an alternate Twilight Town. You'll be fast friends." Sora reassured him before leaning his head on the blond's shoulder.

Roxas tilted his head upon the cinnamon locks in response as Sora's two best friends smiled at the sight. Even Larxene grinned as Demyx and Zexion quirked their eyebrows. The silence was interrupted suddenly with a shout.

"Get a room!" Axel groaned playfully as he rubbed his temple, pretending to be annoyed.

Everyone laughed heartily at the cry. Roxas and Sora ceased their cuddle moment to give the redhead a playful glare after laughing. Axel smirked in return. Even Zexion shared a slight chuckle or two as the ride drew on.

_And all will turn,  
to silver glass.  
A light on the water.  
All souls pass._

Finally, they stopped at Hollow Bastion. Larxene, Demyx and Zexion stepped off with a wave. Sora, Roxas, Riku, Kairi and Axel hugged and waved them goodbye with small smiles before sitting back down and watching them leave through the train's windows.

The ride continued silently until Roxas drew up the courage to ask Mickey the question his heart was begging to ask. He opened his mouth to speak as Sora began pointing out the window at the worlds he had visited to Riku and Kairi and telling them each one's stories and what had happened there with the heartless. Kairi had sat between Roxas and Sora to get a better look and that's exactly how Roxas wanted it. He leaned over to talk to the little mouse without the three overhearing him. Axel leaned forward to listen eagerly, but Roxas didn't mind him. He could trust Axel with anything.

"Er… Your Majesty? You know how the prism is going to stay at Disney Castle and how Sora and I are going to separate worlds? Well… Without the Gummi Ship, how will we be able to visit each other?" the blond asked nervously.

Mickey jumped sheepishly at the inquiry and rubbed the back of his oversized head. He anxiously looked to Axel as if searching for help, then turned back to the boy, paranoid, "Gosh Roxas… I don't know what to say for that… With the Gummi Ship broken down like it is now… I'm not sure how you _could_ visit one another."

Roxas grimaced. This was the kind of answer he expected, but dreaded to hear all the same. With that answer, there was an extremely large and growing possibility that Sora and he wouldn't see each other again. Mickey noticed this and frowned shamefully. Axel shook his head somberly and leaned back on the chair opposite the pair. The trio behind the blond continued to talk spiritedly amongst themselves, oblivious to the other three's sorrow.

"I thought so… Well, I guess this is goodbye…" he stated regretfully as he turned his head to look at the three friends before shifting it to look at Axel, "I guess it's just you and me from now on, partner."

"It'll be a pleasure, Rox. I'm here for you all the way bud." The redhead smiled reassuringly as the keyblade master smiled back.

The blond turned back to the mouse, who sadly turned to look up at the teen as well, "I'm sorry, Roxas. The question hadn't crossed my mind. I promise, I'll find a way for you and Sora to meet again. If it takes me the rest of my life, I'll do it."

"Thanks, your Majesty, but you don't have to." Roxas waved his hand with a small smile.

"I'm sorry, Roxas. Just remember, Sora and your hearts are tied together as one. There will always be a way for you two to cross paths." The small king pointed out with a grin.

Roxas grinned back at the exclamation, "Thanks… I'll make sure I remember that."

_Hope fades,  
Into the world of night.  
Through shadows falling,  
Out of memory and time._

The trip continued to tread on until finally, they reached Twilight Town. This time, all of them stepped off. They were inside the train station, and the purple train looked strange against the red-orange background. Riku looked around the room in approval as Kairi giggled at the facial expressions he was making. Axel had gotten off and walked to the entrance to look at the scenery through the glass doors as the man in the ticket booth marveled at his spiked hair. Sora and Roxas stayed in front of the train doors and looked down at the mouse with large grins.

"Thanks for your help, your Majesty." Sora thanked cheerfully, unaware of the figure full of sorrow and truth standing next to him.

The mouse smiled back and hugged the teenager as the brunet leaned down. Roxas watched with his grin softened. A few seconds passed and Sora stood back up and looked at the blond solemnly, but before anything was said, Roxas also bent down to hug the mouse goodbye, much to the pair's surprise. He squeezed him hard, and the mouse hugged back. The blond let his eyes open a bit and whispered into the king's ear, "Thank you…"

King Mickey snapped his eyes open and looked up to Sora with a questioning glance. Sora just smiled softly in return with a small shrug. The mouse grinned back and hugged the boy tighter, "Anytime…"

The teenager finally stood up, and after exchanging a thankful glance at the king, he turned to his somebody and they also exchanged glances. Although they were smiling, their eyes were grave and haunted. They fidgeted with their jackets and avoided each other's eyes. So this was it… The big farewell… They wouldn't see each other again… Not for a long time, at least…

"I guess this is goodbye," the brunet pointed out with another grim smile.

"For good, most likely…" Roxas answered pessimistically.

_Don't say,  
We have come now to the end.  
White shores are calling.  
You and I will meet again.  
And you'll be here in my arms,  
Just sleeping._

Tears began to slip past the brunet's lids. He looked down as the truth was told. Roxas jumped slightly at the boy's reaction. The Sora he knew would've retorted with an optimistic statement. The blond bit his lip at his mistake and caressed the other boy's cheek, using his thumbs to gently wipe the tears away. He helped tilt the boy's head to look at him as he smiled reassuringly.

"Aw… Sora, you know I'm just kidding. We'll see each other again. I promise… Nothing could stop me from seeing you again if I wanted to." He said to comfort his friend before smiling when it worked.

"Thanks, Roxas… Love me…?" the brunet asked suddenly while grasping him in a hug.

Roxas didn't hesitate in hugging him back this time. That was the question that was all too easy to answer after all they had been through together. Besides, he was the one who had asked it before.

"Always and forever hun…" he answered softly as he squeezed the boy so hard, Sora nearly started suffocating.

They finally pulled apart and Roxas joined Axel at the entrance. Turning, the pair waved at the four they were nearly permanently leaving behind in their lives. As they finally turned to leave, Roxas heard his name called out in distress right before they left through the doors. He whipped around only to be knocked over from the crushing blow of Sora's weight flying into his. They fell into a crumpled heap on the floor, but Sora could care less. With Roxas' arms around his waist, Sora kissed the living daylights out of the blond. This action was answered with a yelp behind the ticket booth counter. Apparently, the man wasn't used to seeing 'sights' like _this._

Axel and Riku smirked at their best friend's moment. They loved their partner like a little brother. Even though the pair were the same person, Axel and Riku were happy as long as Sora and Roxas were happy. Kairi giggled once more and jumped up and down with a squeal. She tugged Riku's arm in excitement and he laughed in return. King Mickey crossed his arms and grinned at the sight.

A few minutes passed by and Sora finally pulled away. Roxas looked up into his lover's eyes. This was probably the last time he would be able to do that, so he savored the moment with a snarky grin. Sora returned it with an arrogant smile of his own. The blond sat up as the other leaned back to give him space. The teenager blinked at the brunet with a slight shake of his head.

"Sora, you dolt… How am I going to be able to miss you if you keep tackling me before I can even step out of the building?" he asked with a slight chuckle.

The other laughed in return before replying, "Babe, I'm missing you already…"

"Yeah, I'm missing those lips of yours already." Roxas snorted in return before pecking him on the mouth.

Sora gave him a genuine grin before answering, "You're beautiful when you're a jackass…"

"I'll take that as a compliment…" Roxas murmured with another grin.

"Okay you two lovebirds… Are ya'll leaving or not? You know, I can't miss you guys if you don't leave." Axel interrupted with a small leer.

Sora and Roxas playfully glared at him before helping each other up. The three up by the train laughed. They finally said farewell and Sora, Riku, Kairi and the king reentered the train. This time, Roxas and Axel chose to stay behind and watch them as they left. Sora kept by the door and looked out its window at the blond that waved him goodbye. He waved back sadly.

Even through the tint of the glass, he could spy the tears flooding down the blond's face. He began to cry again himself. He felt arms around him in a second and turned to see Kairi rubbing his back soothingly with one of her warmest smiles. He turned and squeezed her to his body a minute after he saw her. She led him to the wall bench so that he sat between Riku and her. She hugged him hard as Riku rubbed his shoulder with a solemn hand. A few minutes passed by as the train moved toward Destiny Islands and Sora pulled himself together. His friends smiled at him warmly and he grinned back to signal he was going to be fine.

_What can you see,  
on the horizon?  
Why do the white gulls call?  
Across the sea,  
a pale moon rises.  
The ships have come,  
to carry you home._

All the while, back at Twilight Town, Roxas and Axel strode over to the Usual Spot as Axel patted his back. He ceased his tears a few minutes ago, but it still hurt. After taking deep breaths, and Roxas making sure Axel wasn't lying when he asked if there were still tear-streaks on his face, the pair stepped inside the alley. The gang was all there fortunately, and the five locked eyes.

Hayner looked up with a bored expression atop his spot on the furnace and blinked. Olette and Pence looked up with questionable glances. Axel gave them his trademark arrogant grin as Roxas merely smiled and waved. But their eyes snapped open and they bolted off their seats into battle stances. The blond and redhead jumped back in shock.

"You're that guy! The guy who kidnapped Kairi! Sora's friend!" Hayner exclaimed angrily just as Roxas let his hand drop.

Before Roxas could answer, Axel spoke up with his leer in place, "Whoa guys… Relax! Sora and I are buddies now."

"Oh really?! Prove it!" Pence ordered with a glare.

"All right… This guy here is Sora's buddy too, Roxas." The redhead pointed out before pushing the blond forward.

Roxas snapped a glare at him before turning to smile sheepishly at the gang. Hayner and the pair returned it with confused expressions.

"R-… Roxas? Doesn't that name… ring a bell?" Hayner stammered before looking to his friends for help.

Pence and Olette nodded anxiously, "Yeah."

"And we'll tell you why, as long as you let us help you kick Seifer's ass." Axel pointed out smugly.

Roxas snapped his head to look at him, although the statement caused Hayner to smile at the redhead immediately. How did Axel know about Seifer and his gang? Then again, he always has known his partner to do his research before doing something stupid, so naturally, he looked back at his former best friend.

The trio grinned at the two with bright eyes as Hayner ceased his fighting stance and walked toward them, "I think this is the beginning of a very beautiful and interesting friendship…"

"Oh… You don't even know the half of it…" Roxas mumbled as he slapped his forehead.

Olette spoke up this time as she and Pence approached them even more, "You know Roxas… You really do look familiar… Have we met before?"

"Er… Yes and no…" the blond stuttered out before rubbing the back of his head.

Hayner grinned again, not caring much about his answer, but what Axel had recently said, "Okay! That's good enough for me! Let's go kick Seifer's ass already!"

The five left the Usual Spot with abnormally large grins on their faces. Roxas trailed behind and chuckled to himself for the three accepting them so easily. His mind trailed back to the thought of Sora, but he didn't grimace this time, but smiled at the thought when he would see his other again.

* * *

Sora, Kairi and Riku sat on the bent tree side-by-side with smiles on their faces as they watched the ocean crash into the small sub-island. After a couple hours of catching up and messing around like they use to, the three left for home after biding one another goodnight and Sora immediately escaped to his room after eating supper with his mom. Scanning it briefly, it was exactly the way he had left it before. He really needed to get rid of those old toys on the floor though. Kicking off his abnormally large shoes, he flew onto his bed with a _**plop!**_ He turned on his side and looked at his nightstand. Reaching inside his jacket, he pulled out a small picture frame and placed neatly in front of the lamp. He smiled as the blond in the picture grinned back cockily.

"I miss you already, Roxas… Thanks again, your Majesty." The brunet whispered before falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

Roxas lay in his bed after a long day of watching Axel set Rai on fire and Hayner rolling on the Sandlot ground, laughing his head off. After the sun went down, he told the guys that he and Axel would tell them the story of their travels tomorrow and invited Axel to sleep on his apartment's couch in which he had bought recently. He grinned with his hands behind his head as he looked through his window at the stars that watched over Twilight Town.

Turning after a couple of seconds, he looked at his nightstand and grinned again. Putting a hand inside his jacket, he grasped a small picture frame and set it beside his alarm. He chuckled to himself at the face Sora made at the camera to get it away from him.

Before falling asleep to the picture, Roxas turned back to the stars and whispered softly before falling asleep, "I will find you again, Sora… Thanks again, King Mickey."

_And all will turn,  
to silver glass.  
A light on the water.  
Grey ships pass  
Into the West._

_

* * *

_

**_Well guys, I guess this is goodbye for now! Or if you want to keep in touch in reviews, read my HighSchool Hell story! It's also SoRox! Or if you're bored and need a laugh or two, just read my One-Shot shorts with the two lovebirds as well! Each chaps a different story! Enjoy them while they last! I'll see you guys next time! Or at least, might, all depends on how you vote on the poll!_**

**Sora:Aww... So this really _is_ goodbye... Okay then... 'takes deep breath' GOODBYE YOUS! AND GOOD RIDDANCE! FIND SOME PEOPLE ELSE TO TORTURE FOR ONCE!!! #!&#!#&!!!! 'Insert long line of cursing here'**

**Roxas:Wow... Sora... You're wincing... Anyway, that's quite colorful language for someone of your disposition...**

**Sora:Shutup or I'll break your face! 'pulls out keyblade and points it at the blond with a deranged look and drool escaping the corner of his mouth'**

**Me:Whoa there tiger! I still need him for my other stories! 'takes out broadsword to protect Roxas'**

**Camera:'slowly drifts away from the battle and to Axel and Riku grinning and standing side-by-side'**

**Riku:Sorry ya'll, had to keep the story T rated... Had to censor that out.**

**Axel:Yeah... Sora can be a vicious fighter when he's like this...**

**Riku and Axel:Well! See ya'll next time! Bye! 'wave'**


End file.
